ALSO...

Ford Motor Co. said it will fire 2,800 workers in Brazil, where rising unemployment and high interest rates spurred a 40% decline in its car sales this year. The Dearborn, Mich.-based auto maker will take an undisclosed fourth-quarter charge to pay for the firings. The cuts represent 28% of Ford’s 10,000 employees in Brazil, where it sold 10,035 vehicles last month.