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DETROIT, March 27- Ford Motor Co expects operating margins of about 10 percent in North America this year, down slightly from 2012, because the company expects a greater portion of its sales this year will come from smaller cars that are less profitable than trucks.

HONG KONG, March 28- China shares were headed for their worst loss in nearly a month on Thursday, with banks taking a hit after they were ordered to tighten control over wealth management products and improve transparency.

OTTAWA, March 27- Banks are lining up to expand their presence in Canada, and the government welcomes this as a way of fostering competition, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Wednesday.

*Coming up: U.S. Weekly jobless claims at 1230 GMT. SINGAPORE, March 28- London copper edged up on Thursday from a one-week low hit in the previous session as traders closed out short positions ahead of a holiday weekend, while prices were set to end the month and quarter down due to a lack of robust Chinese demand.

SINGAPORE, March 28- London copper edged up on Thursday from a one-week low hit in the previous session as traders closed out short positions ahead of a long holiday weekend, while prices were set to end the month and quarter down due to a lack of robust Chinese demand.

LONDON, March 27- One of the largest ever cyber attacks is slowing global internet services after an organisation blocking "spam" content became a target, with some experts saying the disruption could get worse. Steve Linford, chief executive of Spamhaus, told the BBC that the company had been subjected to attacks on an unprecedented scale for more than a week.

CHICAGO, March 25- Crop-friendly snowfall and some rain moved across much of the U.S. crop belt over the weekend offering slight relief to the drought while a new storm system is expected by late this week, an agricultural meteorologist said on Monday.

SHANGHAI, March 27- Chinese Internet users are crying foul over the perceived unfair treatment doled out to Apple Inc by state-run media which has actively criticised the smartphone maker for the past two weeks over its warranty policy.

SINGAPORE, March 27- London copper was steady on Wednesday as promising U.S. data stirred some optimism about demand for industrial metals, but still modest buying in top consumer China and euro zone bank run worries kept a lid on gains.

SHANGHAI, March 27- Chinese Internet users are crying foul over the perceived unfair treatment doled out to Apple Inc by state-run media which has actively criticised the smartphone maker for the past two weeks over its warranty policy.

HONG KONG, March 27- Foreign investors are buying up Thai funds at their fastest pace in more than five years, lured by ample returns from an ascendant currency and extending the life of a share price rally in what was Southeast Asia's best performing market last year.

MANILA, March 27- Fitch Ratings raised the Philippines' credit rating to investment grade on Wednesday, a first for the Southeast Asian nation, in a move expected to boost investment and lift the country's long-term growth potential.

MANILA, March 27- Fitch Ratings raised the Philippines' credit rating to investment grade on Wednesday, a first for the Southeast Asian nation, in a move expected to boost investment and lift the country's long-term growth potential.

SINGAPORE, March 27- London copper edged up on Wednesday as promising U.S. data stirred some optimism about demand for industrial metals, but still modest buying in top consumer China and euro zone bank run worries kept a lid on gains.

*Citigroup looks to draw down liquid assets by $35 billion. *Citigroup's liquidity measure stronger than JPMorgan's. NEW YORK, March 27- Citigroup Inc is considering cutting its cash on hand by about $35 billion, which should help the bank buy higher yielding assets or redeem expensive debt to boost earnings.

*Nasdaq data shows spike in short positions in BlackBerry. *Short positions have more than doubled from year-ago level. TORONTO, March 26- BlackBerry's share price has more than doubled over the last six months as buzz around its new smartphones has boosted investor confidence, but some traders are betting big that talk of a turnaround is over-hyped.

*Euro still smarting from' Cyprus model' suspicions. *Little sign of contagion to Italy, Spain. TOKYO, March 27- The euro hovered near a four-month low against the dollar on Wednesday after a rescue deal for Cyprus raised fears about financial stability in the currency bloc, while the yen slipped on hopes of more bond buying by the Bank of Japan.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of Communications, China Life Insurance and CITIC Securities Co Ltd are among Chinese financial companies due to post 2012 results later in the day. Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd, Angang Steel Co Ltd, China COSCO, ZTE Corporation and Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd are among other notable releases.

NEW YORK, March 26- T-Mobile USA said on Tuesday that it will start selling Apple Inc's iPhone on April 12, making it the last of the big national U.S. operators to sell the popular smartphone.