CANADA

* New inflation or price-level targets still options * BoC to study its role in securing financial stability * Must be cautious, price stability will not be sacrificed

Scientists have found that vitamin D influences more than 200 genes, including ones related to cancer and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis -- a discovery that shows how serious vitamin D deficiency can be.

General Motors Co took a big step toward repaying a controversial taxpayer-funded bailout by declaring plans for a landmark stock offering that represents a critical test for the Obama administration.

Oil rose to over $76 on Thursday, boosted by a rally in Asian equities as investors focused on the prospects for accelerating Chinese demand for natural resources. U.S. September crude climbed 19 cents to $75.61 a barrel at 0822 GMT (4:22 a.m. EDT), having earlier risen as high as $76.08. ICE Brent rose 35 cents to $76.82.

The Australian Dollar is steady after a relatively quiet night on the economic data front gave the markets little to draw on as far as the state of the economic recovery in the US and Europe is concerned.

General Motors Co will recall more than 243,000 model year 2009/2010 crossover sport utilities, mainly in the United States, to inspect safety belts for possible damage.

General Motors Co will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange after its initial public offering, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Riding on increased auto sales and jewellery deamand, platinum and palladium have become a favourite investment option for several investors across the globe.

The euro struggled near key technical support levels on Wednesday as debt worries weighed, while the Canadian dollar was supported by a huge takeover bid by global miner BHP Billiton for Canada's Potash Corp.

The yen rose on Wednesday, with traders citing yen-buying by Japanese players, while the Canadian dollar held gains made on news of a huge takeover bid by global miner BHP Billiton for Canada's Potash Corp.

Capital One Financial Corp's U.S. credit-card defaults continued their decline for the fourth straight month, signaling that fewer Americans were falling seriously behind in their credit card payments.

The Australian Dollar has opened weaker this morning trading around the 0.8950 level after a fairly quiet US session on Friday night in which US data releases were not that bad in relation to consensus.

Turkmenistan, long slow to respond to foreign efforts to enter its energy sector, is now considering tenders for development of its Caspian offshore hydrocarbon deposits. The bids are yet another sign of the dramatic changes occurring since the death of the country's mercurial autocrat, president for life Saparmurat Niyazov in December 2006.

India may shut down Google and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

India may shut down Google and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

Devastating drought in Russia and neighboring countries has reduced world wheat harvest prospects more than expected, a U.S. government report showed on Thursday, threatening to renew a blistering price rally that has revived memories of 2008.

General Motors posted its biggest quarterly profit in six years on Thursday, a day ahead of an expected IPO filing that will clear the way for the U.S. government to relinquish its majority stake in the top U.S. automaker.

General Motors Co has secured a $5 billion credit facility, two people briefed on the bank deal said on Wednesday, marking the return of the top U.S. automaker to the capital markets a year after it emerged from a landmark bankruptcy.

India may temporarily shut down BlackBerry services if security concerns are not addressed in a Thursday meeting of telecom officials and operators, the latest global headache for smartphone maker Research in Motion.

India may temporarily shut down BlackBerry services if security concerns are not addressed in a Thursday meeting of telecom officials and operators, the latest global headache for smartphone maker Research in Motion.

India may temporarily shut down BlackBerry services if New Delhi's concerns about security are not addressed in a meeting between the government and mobile phone operators on Thursday, government sources said.