UNITED STATES

With the U.S. market promising little growth in 2011, law firms are looking at emerging markets in Asia and South America for spurring their expansion.

Former Shell Oil CEO John Hofmeister's prediction a fortnight ago that retail gasoline prices would hit $5 per gallon by 2015 has gone viral since then, drawing attention largely on the U.S. drilling policies but also spooking consumers and polarizing analysts in the process.

New York City attracted almost 49-million tourists last year, an all-time record, despite the ongoing effects of the recession, according to the city’s mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The U.S. employment situation might be seeing better times, according to figures released in the latest ADP Employment Report for December, which showed a rise for the second consecutive month

The U.S. non-manufacturing sector grew in December at it fastest pace in more than 4 years, according to an industry report released on Wednesday.

Futures on major U.S. indices pared earlier losses on Wednesday after ADP reported that private-sector employment recorded the largest monthly gain in December.

Retailers have not recouped all of the $1 billion in sales postponed by shoppers as they dug out from last month's East Coast blizzard, research firm ShopperTrak said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday as much stronger-than-expected jobs data boosted optimism about the labor market and the economic recovery.

Time Warner and two U.S. private equity funds are on a shortlist of potential buyers for assets belonging to Dogan Yayin , Turkey's biggest media group, sources familiar with the deal said on Wednesday.

Toshiba Corp will begin selling large-screen glasses-free 3D television sets in fiscal 2011 and plans to start marketing the groundbreaking devices beyond its home turf of Japan, executives said on Tuesday.

The German luxury carmaker BMW Group in the U.S. reported December sales of 27,600 vehicles, an increase of 16.9 percent from the 23,617 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago. For 2010, the BMW Group in the U.S. reported total sales of 265,757 vehicles, up 9.9 percent compared to the 241,727 vehicles sold in 2009.

The lines between professional and personal interactions are being blurred. Social media users need to exercise prudence

Professor returns to teach at the Kennedy School of Government after spending two years as Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the White House National Economic Council (NEC).

Inflation will be the biggest concern for the emerging markets in 2011 and an important economic gauge to watch in the new year.

The efforts by Facebook to raise as much as $1.5 billion outside of regulated markets is the latest test of the walls between private and public markets.

U.S. private employers added 297,000 jobs in December compared with a revised gain of 92,000 in November, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

A surprise surge in private-sector employment last month for its biggest-ever rise in a private payrolls report provided the most bullish signal in months that the economy is on the mend.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a lower opening on Wednesday as investors eye on economic data including ADP national employment report and ISM non-manufacturing index.

Credit Suisse upgraded Barnes & Noble Inc shares, citing benefits the top U.S. bookstore chain could reap from the woes faced by smaller rival Borders Group Inc , which is meeting with publishers this week to negotiate new payment terms.

Wirlesss carrier Sprint has unveiled a new 4G-enabled smartphone HTC Evo Shift priced at $149.99, which will be available starting Jan. 9.

Stocks were set to open lower on Wednesday with materials shares looking weak on falling commodity prices, but losses were capped after a report showed a big jump in new private-sector jobs.