UNITED STATES

New claims for U.S. jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, while growth in the manufacturing sector slowed in June, heightening fears the country's economic recovery was stalling.

The United States, seeking to modernize technology and reduce costs, is embracing cloud computing, but privacy and security issues need to be ironed out during a decade-long transition, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

Airbus and Boeing clashed over aid for the next generation of European passenger jets on Thursday, while details emerged on the battleground for possibly lengthy appeals following a major trade ruling on aircraft subsidies.

Auto sales slipped in June from the previous month's pace and major automakers said there was no sign of the definitive second-half recovery that the battered industry had expected at the start of the year.

Big brokerages are working to boost banking and lending services to their clients, eager for new revenue to offset the squeeze from volatile markets and nervous clients clinging to low-margin bond and cash funds.

Global carmakers are braced for a slide in second half sales as scrappage schemes are phased out and cautious consumers pull back from big-ticket buys in the face of economic uncertainty.

Goldman Sachs officials insisted demands for billions of dollars from insurer AIG ahead of a $182-billion government rescue package were based on legitimate market prices and denied gaming values for a massive payout.

Apple Inc has been sued by iPhone customers in at least three complaints related to antenna problems on its newest model.

Manufacturing growth cooled around the world in June, with China hitting its slowest pace in more than a year and growth in the United States and Europe also easing -- further evidence that the global economic recovery is moderating.

Stocks slipped on Thursday as manufacturing and other data suggested a slowing recovery, but shares were well off session lows as investors snapped up some beaten-down shares.

New claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, while manufacturing activity slowed in June, heightening fears the country's economic recovery was stalling.

Whoever said it's all about the economy, stupid, got it only partially right. It is indeed all about the economy, or at least half of it is about the economy. The rest is about a country's national interest. Typically, nations act or react to situations involving one of the above-mentioned

General Motors Co reported a 10.7 percent rise in June U.S. sales, helped by strong demand for newly launched vehicles such as the Chevrolet Equinox crossover and a recovery in truck sales.

Stocks fell on Thursday, but were well off the lows of the session as investors snapped up beaten-down shares.

Toyota Motor Corp by Thursday morning had not yet alerted U.S. safety regulators of a recall of one Toyota and seven Lexus models for possible engine stalling while driving, a federal safety official said.

Hurricane Alex slowed oil clean-up and containment efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, with any permanent fix to BP Plc's ruptured deep-sea oil well still several weeks away.

Oil fell more than 4 percent to below $73 a barrel on Thursday, its biggest dive in five months, as weak manufacturing data from China and the United States fueled concerns about faltering economic growth.

Stocks fell more than 1 percent on Thursday, starting the second half of 2010 on a weak note, as disappointing economic data underscored the view the recovery is slowing.

Goldman Sachs officials insisted demands for billions of dollars from insurer AIG ahead of a $182-billion government rescue package were based on legitimate market prices and denied gaming values for a massive payout.

The dollar fell to a seven-month low against the yen on Thursday as economic reports in both the United States and China added to investors' uncertainty about the global economic recovery. The euro, however, rallied broadly after European banks borrowed less money than expected from a European Central Bank's tender, cooling concerns over euro zone banks' funding issues.

A key survey of U.S. manufacturing activity fell to its lowest in six months, while contracts for pending sales of previously owned homes plunged a record 30 percent in May, far more than expected,