UNITED STATES

An acceleration in the pace of U.S. economic growth in the second half of this year is expected to ebb as 2012 gets underway, although the odds of another recession have receded to one-in-four, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday.

Stocks slid more than 2 percent on Wednesday as a spike in Italian bond yields heightened fears the debt crisis in Europe was spreading.

HSBC gave its starkest warning to date that new regulations might force it to leave Britain and said its U.S. bad debts had jumped as more homeowners stopped payments on their mortgages.

U.S. Energy Information Administration today reports U.S. crude oil refineries saw a drop in the number of barrels produced this week, contradicting the American Petroleum Institute's report.

Gabon's oil union ONEP has re-launched talks with the government on a dispute over the use of expatriate labour, averting for now the threat of a strike in the sector.

A new study predicts that global oil demand is likely to peak by 2020, with internal combustion engine efficiency and the increased use of alternate fuels contributing to the peak.

Macy's Inc. reported a strong third-quarter net income of $139 million ($0.32 per share), but a fall in gross margin caused shares to slip in early trading on Wednesday.

South African assets fell on Wednesday when investors were spooked by a ratings outlook downgrade of the domestic economy, which added to market fears over the euro zone debt crisis.

Nearly half of neurosurgeons surveyed admitted to performing at least one wrong-site surgery in their career, according to study.

Gold and silver mining company stocks rose Wednesday, defying a global downdraft in equities and underscoring the traditional role precious metals have as a safe haven for investors.

Rob Mocarsky, a former kindergarten teacher in Jackman, Maine, who took pornographic photos of four of his students, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Tuesday.

The major European bourses are down anywhere from 2.0 percent to 2.6 percent.

The conflict between California's legalization of marijuana and a federal crackdown intensified this week, as lawyers acting on behalf of dispensaries and medical marijuana patients sought to halt government enforcement they said was unconstitutional.

HTC released its Sensation XL with Beats Audio in the UK market on Oct. 6. Despite not hitting the U.S. shores officially, the HTC Sensation XL with its huge 4.7-inch screen is expected to give tough competition to Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4S worldwide.

The couple arrived in style at the Tokyo premiere, held on Wednesday.

Chief marketing officers at U.S. retailers are cautious heading into the holiday season, though those at larger chains are a bit more optimistic about their prospects, according to a survey conducted by BDO USA.

Too bad Greece never had a Tea Party. If it had, it wouldn't be in the mess it's in now. It wouldn't have become the beggar of Europe, eking out a living on the kindness of strangers.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners, including Bollywood stars and politicians, gathered on Wednesday for the cremation of one of India's most famous folk singers, Bhupen Hazarika, who helped popularize the culture of the country's remote northeast.

General Motors Co posted a third-quarter profit that fell 15 percent after a loss in Europe and forecast that operating profit in the current quarter would be flat from a weak fourth quarter in 2010.

Israel will be closely watching its most powerful ally's presidential race with great concentration, trying to figure out which American candidate will have its best interests in mind.

London-based jeweler Graff Diamonds plans to raise about $1 billion in a Hong Kong listing next year, a move that could fund expansion in Asia and capitalize on booming gem prices.