UNITED STATES

Citigroup Inc's second-quarter profit jumped 24 percent as the bank lost less money than expected on bad U.S. loans.

Spotify launched in the U.S.

After agreeing a deal to sign Stewart Downing from Aston Villa, Liverpool will now turn their focus on filling the left-back slot, with Newcastle's Jose Enrique a possible target.

The US economy is at an inflection point after the end of the second round of Quantitative Easing (QE2). Two rounds of monetary and fiscal stimulus since 2008 have had only limited impact on growth or unemployment. The question is,'What next?' will there be another round of monetary and fiscal policy easing? Analysts at American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) are of the opinion that fiscal and monetary policies have reached their limits.

Stocks rose on Friday after strong earnings from Google and Citigroup helped lift some of the angst about Europe's debt crisis and stalled U.S. budget talks.

Thousands of immigrants denied a shot at American residency are holding their breaths Friday as the U.S. State Department announces the green card lottery to replace an initial, flawed attempt.

A controversy involving the News of the World over hacking voice mails of 9/11 victims has forced Rupert Murdoch to oust Rebekah Brooks as CEO of News International.

Thousands of immigrants denied a shot at American residency are holding their breaths today as the State Department announces the green card lottery to replace an initial flawed attempt.

'Carmageddon,' -- the weekend closure of a part of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles for construction and expansion, starts Friday at 7 p.m. PDT and ends Monday at 6 a.m. PDT. Advice from public officials is succinct: don't drive if you don't have to; also: shop and entertain close to home.

The United States will recognize the Transitional National Council (TNC), the rebel group fighting Moammar Gaddafi in Libya, as that country’s “legitimate governing authority, said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Italy has pledged support -- and Euros -- to the rebels fighting in Libya.

Consumer prices fell slightly more than expected in June to post their biggest drop in a year on weak gasoline costs, but underlying inflation pressures remain elevated.

Not only is the FBI investigating his News Corp. over allegations they may have hacked the phone of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, but his own corporate board members may sue him and his son.

The Obama administration pushed back on a federal appeals court ordering an immediate halt of the U.S. Department of Defense's don't ask, don't tell policy, asking for more time to lift the ban on openly gay soldiers.

A health check of European banks is expected to show that as many as 15 lenders need more capital to withstand a prolonged recession, with criticism growing that the tests do not encompass the impact of a Greek default.

Wall Street was set to rise on Friday after strong earnings from Google and Citigroup helped lift some of the angst about Europe's debt crisis and stalled U.S. budget talks that have overhung the market.

Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson forecast an upturn in the second half, as it posted a first quarterly loss since 2009 due to a parts shortage stemming from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Asia Entertainment & Resources, Google, Sino Clean Energy, Vical, and Carrizo Oil & Gas. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Seattle Genetics, Qlik Technologies, Logitech International, ICAgen, and Corinthian Colleges.

Credit ratings agency S&P Friday, like Moody's Thursday, warned that the U.S.'s credit rating could be downgraded, if an agreement on raising the debt ceiling is not reached soon. Meanwhile, the Reid/McConnell 'last chance' debt deal plan appeared to gain momentum Thursday, raising hope that a debt deal agreement will be reached soon.

Wall Street was heading for its worst week in nearly a year, with index futures little changed on Friday as macroeconomic concerns keep markets volatile and overshadow the start of U.S. corporate earnings season.

A federal judge on Thursday, dismissed a class action lawsuit filed by entrants who were told that they had won the green card lottery and were later informed by the State department that the results were nullified due to a computer glitch.