UNITED STATES

Deep discounts and the warmest July weather in decades should help retail chains report a rise in monthly sales, with many expecting warehouse clubs and high-end chains to lead the way.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion introduced five new handsets that run on its new BlackBerry 7 mobile OS, in a bid to regain ground against rivals like Apple.

The yen tumbled from near record highs on Monday after Japan intervened to curb the currency's export-damaging strength, while world stocks held above 2011 lows as expectations grew for more policy action in developed countries.

Continuous growth of smartphone market in the U.S. clearly reflects how people are attached to their cellphones, but a report from TeleNav shows how willing Americans are to compromise on other things in their life so that they can cling on to the handset.

The Bank of Japan eased monetary policy by boosting asset purchases on Thursday at a rate review that was cut short by a day, signaling its determination to support Tokyo's solo currency intervention to weaken the yen.

Japan sold the yen in the market and its central bank eased monetary policy on Thursday, following Switzerland in efforts to tame currencies buoyed by safe-haven demand from investors fretting about the health of the global economy.

RIM has announced a new smartphone based on the BlackBerry 7 operating system, called BlackBerry Bold 9900, and its CMDA version 9930. Motorola, HTC, LG with BlackBerry look-alikes pose challenge to Bold 9900

Deutsche Telekom said it was on track to meet its targets after the group's second quarter profit was hit by restructuring charges mainly for staff in Germany.

A team of Swedish deep sea explorers have discovered a large, round shaped object on the 300-foot-deep ocean floor between Finland and Sweden.

Japan intervened in currency markets on Thursday to curb the yen's gains that officials fear threatened to derail the economy's recovery from a slump triggered by a massive earthquake in March.

Corporate America is not likely to punish Republicans who ignored their pleas and voted against a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, looking to court them for bigger fights ahead, according to business lobbyists.

Different wars for different times. Cofer Black, a former top CIA counterterrorism official, said on Wednesday he sees parallels between the terrorism threat that emerged before the September 11 attacks a decade ago and the emerging cyber threat now.

Is there oil statistic that can provide a rough "report card" on the U.S. economy and its outlook? Indeed there is.

U.S. airlines are not likely to bow to pressure from the White House and elsewhere to rollback a fare increase facilitated by a Washington political standoff that could net the industry more than $1 billion in unexpected third quarter revenue.

The Justice Department charged 72 members of an online child pornography ring. Members were encouraged to have sex with children ages 12 and under and turn in material.

Authorities said on Wednesday they have dismantled an online bulletin board allegedly used by 600 people around the world to trade graphic images and videos of child sex abuse.

The Swiss franc fell from record highs on Wednesday after the Swiss National Bank shocked the market with an interest rate cut, but the retreat should prove fleeting given mounting concerns about global growth.

The success of the Android OS has inspired ?a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents,? wrote David Drummond, Google?s Chief Legal Officer, in a blog post.

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy said on Wednesday he is considering rejoining the PGA Tour, just nine months after opting not to take up his card for the 2011 season on the U.S. circuit.

Timothy Lee Gentry, 33, of Burlington, Ky., was sentenced to 25 years in prison on May 10. Michael Biggs, 32, of Orlando, Fla., was sentenced to 20 years in prison on May 31, 2011. While Michael Childs, 49, of Huntsville, Ala., was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June and Charles Christian, 49, of Tilton, Ill., will spend more than 22 years in prison, according a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

A growing desire for the glossy, long locks of celebrities is fuelling a multi-million pound (dollar) global trade in human hair, with demand for hair extensions surging in the past year, according to e-commerce website Alibaba.com.