UNITED STATES

China fined French and U.S. retail giants Carrefour and Wal-Mart for lying about the price of their goods, its top economic planner said on Wednesday.

U.S. foods group Sara Lee Corp rejected a buyout offer by a group of private equity firms, the New York Post said, citing two sources close to the process.

Stocks rose slightly on Wednesday as the positive impact from U.S. President Barack Obama's call for a lower corporate tax rate offset a weak outlook from Boeing.

The main gold exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust, recorded its biggest ever one-day outflow on Tuesday. The precious metal is taking some support from physical demand after its slide to its lowest since October 28, but buying interest remains lackluster.

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, who played a vital role in the 1998 al Qaeda bomb attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people including 12 Americans and wounded thousands of others, has been sentenced to life by a Manhattan federal court.

The companies that reported earnings before the markets open on Wednesday are: Boeing, ConocoPhillips, Abbott, General Dynamics, United Technologies, Southern Co., Hess, Xerox, Rockwell Automation and Wellpoint.

The Egyptian government should be responsive to its people's aspirations, the White House has said in measured but unusually strong comments about the raging anti-government protests in Egypt which forced the reported fleeing of the president’s son to Britain.

President Barack Obama reminded Congress in his annual address Tuesday that in the U.S. We do big things, as he urged a united approach to resolving the nation's jobs and economic problems by spending in ways that will boost U.S. competitiveness globally while simultaneously reducing the nation's high deficits.

Boeing Co's quarterly profit slipped on fewer commercial airplane deliveries and its shares fell 3.3 percent in premarket trade on a disappointing earnings outlook for 2011.

The future of the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hinges on the ability of the country leaders to understand the reasons behind unprecedented protests, a Saudi royal family member said.

Stock index futures pointed to a modestly higher open on Wednesday, hours after U.S. President Barack Obama called for a lower corporate tax rate to boost the economy, but weakness in Boeing looked to limit gains.

Applications for U.S. home mortgages slumped last week as bankers recorded the slowest refinancing activity in more than a year, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Overall food prices in the U.S. are going to inch up between 2 and 3 percent this year, putting an added burden on household budgets.

Boeing Co on Wednesday said its quarterly profit slipped after the company made fewer commercial airplane deliveries than a year ago, and the company predicted a hit to earnings partly from delays to the 787 Dreamliner program.

Stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday, hours after U.S. President Barack Obama called for a lower corporate tax rate to boost the economy, but a drop in Boeing's profit limited gains.

Stock index futures were higher on Wednesday, hours after President Barack Obama stressed a freeze on government spending and the need to lower corporate tax rates.

Wall Street is set to edge up on Wednesday, as companies continue to beat forecasts with their earnings, and with investors awaiting a statement from the Federal Reserve.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Tuesday are: W.W. Grainger, DeVry, Navios Maritime, Fifth Street Finance and Navistar International. The top after-market NYSE losers on Tuesday are: WMS Industries, Elan Corp, Swift Transportation, Genpact and Ennis.

American Small Business League (ASBL) said President Obama relied on the same tired rhetoric, while continuing to ignore billions of dollars in job killing abuse in small business contracting programs.

Pakistan warned major powers on Tuesday against granting rival India membership of four key multilateral export control regimes that allow trade in nuclear and other materials, as proposed by the United States.

A ministerial reshuffle has signalled India may give sorely-needed focus to the development of its burgeoning cities, whose erratic expansion is seen as a major brake on economic growth.