UNITED STATES

The June jobs report came in far worse than expected, raising fears about the health of the economy and the sustainability of any recovery.

U.S. job growth in June essentially ground to a halt for a second month running, suggesting a sharp first half slowdown is not merely a blip, as Wall Street economists and Federal Reserve officials had hoped.

Stocks were set to open sharply lower on Friday after the June payrolls report fell short of expectations and dashed hopes the economic recovery had regained speed.

Suddenly, momentum is building in the nation's capitol toward what could be an historic deficit reduction package -- a grand deal deal of $4 trillion or more in cuts -- including changes to entitlement programs, cuts in defense spending, and selected tax increases via ending tax loopholes.

The founder of Pakistan's nuclear program claims that North Korea had paid top Pakistani military officials more than $3 million in exchange for nuclear technology in the 1990s.

U.S. employment growth ground to a halt in June, with employers hiring the fewest number of workers in nine months, dampening hopes the economy was on the cusp of regaining momentum after stumbling in recent months.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Geron, Alkermes, Intersil, and SodaStream International. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Ixia, SemiLEDs, Aixtron, Cree, Virgin Media, ARM Holdings, and Google.

U.S. securities and accounting regulators will meet Chinese counterparts next week to negotiate an agreement on joint U.S.-Chinese inspections of auditing firms in China, the U.S. government said on Friday.

Stock index futures were little changed on Friday before government employment figures that should show if a lackluster recovery has regained speed.

Stock index futures were flat on Friday before the June U.S. payrolls report, which should give investors important guidance on the economy.

After the announcement of the Video Calling feature on Wednesday, another interesting fact came into light when an inquisitive coder named Jeff Ross scanned through the Java file behind Video Calling, and found something in the Skype install codes that gives indication towards a music application called Vibes.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Alkermes, China Auto Logistic, Optimer Pharmaceuticals, and Vitacost.com. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Ixia, SemiLEDs, Life Partners Holdings, Multi-Fineline Electronix, and DragonWave.

Google Inc is leaving open the door to more co-operation with social-media giants Facebook and Twitter, and believes there is room for multiple social networks as it rolls out its own, executive chairman Eric Schmidt said.

U.S. companies probably stepped up hiring in June as the economy recovers from a stumble in recent months, although job growth is not expected to be strong enough to eat into high unemployment.

Apple's iPad 3 is already under serious pressure from other tablet makers in the market.

Big pickup trucks are clogging many U.S. dealer lots, causing headaches for General Motors Co and other automakers, and raising concerns about price wars and lower profits later in the year.

The board of Simon Property Group Inc , the largest owner of U.S. malls and outlet centers, has agreed to a plan that will give CEO and Chairman David Simon 1 million shares for him to remain with the company for at least another eight years, according to a regulatory filing.

A not guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony sentencing has resulted into four states drafting legislation affectionately known as Caylee's Law to create tight requirements for the reporting missing or dead people.

Illinois' fiscal 2011 revenue jumped nearly $3.4 billion over fiscal 2010 collections due mainly to a big income tax rate hike and a tax amnesty program, a legislative commission reported on Thursday.

While rumors swirl around iPhone 5, details around the sixth generation of iPhones has also been unveiled little by little. The iPhone 6 is said to be launching in 2012, featuring a new way of charging the phone, claimed a Wall Street Journal report.

Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, on Tuesday. And while it stirred controversy across the nation, it also spurred two lawmakers to create a bill in the young girl’s name, The Miami Herald reported.