UNITED STATES

The U.S. non-manufacturing sector grew in August for an eighth straight month but at a slower pace than July and at a rate that was below expectations, according to an industry report released on Friday.

A suicide bomber struck a rally in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, killing at least 22 people in the second major attack this week, piling pressure on a government struggling with a flood crisis.

General Motors' new boss Dan Akerson sent his first letter to staff on Thursday, saying he valued the role of organized labor in the company's success as GM heads into negotiations with its union-represented U.S. workers next year.

U.S. employment fell for a third straight month in August, but the drop was far less than expected and private hiring surprised on the upside, easing pressure on the Federal Reserve to prop up economic growth.

A blast ripped through a rally in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, killing at least 22 people, the second major attack this week, piling pressure on the civilian government struggling with a flood crisis.

World stocks jumped on Friday while the low-yielding yen and government bonds tumbled after a closely-watched U.S. jobs report showed a smaller-than-expected decline in non-farm payrolls.

U.S. Treasuries prices fell sharply on Friday after the government reported that the U.S. private sector added 67,000 jobs, a surprisingly large number, to payrolls in August.

South Korea's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors said on Friday that it had started a recall of some Soul and Sorento vehicles sold worldwide because of a fire hazard.

BP Plc said the cost of dealing with its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had risen to $8 billion as the oil giant prepared to release the findings of an internal probe into the causes of the disaster.

Britain's leading share index hit a more than three-week high on Friday as the market looks beyond a weak employment picture in the United States after factoring in a soft patch in the pace of the economic recovery.

Wall Street advanced on Friday after a better-than-expected jobs report lifted investor optimism on the economy but gains were checked after data showed services sector activity slowed.

Campbell Soup Co posted lower-than-expected quarterly sales and forecast sales growth for the new fiscal year below its long-term target as the world's largest soup company grapples with a weak economy.

Concerns over Israeli access to BlackBerry data, and the use of the device by the United States to spy on the United Arab Emirates are behind the Gulf state's moves to curb the smartphone, Dubai's police chief said.

British service sector activity grew last month at its slowest pace since April 2009, with a marked fall in hiring as employers worried about an economic slowdown and public spending cuts, a survey showed on Friday.

U.S. employment fell for a third straight month in August, but the drop was far less than expected and private hiring surprised on the upside, easing pressure on the Federal Reserve to prop up economic growth.

Gold prices fell more than 1 percent on Friday to their lowest in three sessions, after data showed U.S. non-farm payrolls fell by less than expected in August, boosting the appeal of assets seen as higher risk.

The U.S. dollar rallied versus the yen on Friday after a government report showed U.S. employment fell by far less than expected in August and private payrolls growth was surprisingly strong. The dollar jumped 1 percent to trade above 85 yen as the data fueled expectations the U.S. labor market is not as bad as feared and helped lift U.S. Treasury securities yields.

Wall Street was poised for a strong open on Friday after a better-than-expected jobs report lifted investor optimism on the economy.

BP Plc said the cost of dealing with its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had risen to $8 billion (5 billion pounds) as the oil giant prepared to release the findings of an internal probe into the causes of the disaster.

An estimated five million uninsured children in the United States were eligible for Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but were not enrolled in either plan, according to a new report.

It wasn't what you would call a casual get-together.