Stock index futures dipped on Thursday as global equities tumbled on worries that the lack of a deal on how to handle the Greek debt crisis could trigger disorderly market moves and crimp liquidity.

* Investors had their eyes on U.S. weekly jobless claims expected at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Economists expected claims to fall to 420,000 from 427,000 in the previous week.

* Housing starts and permits and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's business activity survey were also on tap.

* A day after the S&P 500 fell 1.74 percent, S&P 500 futures dropped 0.70 point and were flat in terms of fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration of the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 14 points and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 2.50 points.

* A string of parliamentary resignations threw Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's plan to reshuffle his cabinet and seek support for a crucial austerity package into disarray. The government risks bankruptcy if it fails to pass a highly unpopular five-year austerity plan.

* Chinese units of HSBC Holdings and Citigroup Inc won initial approval to underwrite corporate debt in China, sources said. The deals would make them the first foreign banks to win the coveted licenses.

* Research In Motion Ltd will have to struggle to give investors good news when it reports results after markets close on Thursday. Details on when new BlackBerry devices will hit shelves might help.

* U.S. stocks tumbled on Wednesday, driven lower by escalating worries over Greece, while troubling U.S. data pointed to further losses ahead.

* The CBOE Volatility Index <.VIX> jumped 16.8 percent to 21.32, its highest since March 18.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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