UNITED STATES

U.S. stock index futures were lower on Thursday ahead of a report on weekly jobless claims and after data showed a jump in Chinese inflation.

With Governor David Paterson enveloped in scandal, New York's lieutenant governoris leading the notoriously difficult budget process and freeing up his boss to fight for his political life, experts say.

President Barack Obama, anxious to spur growth and tackle unemployment, will name two top executives from Boeing and Xerox on Thursday to spearhead his drive to boost U.S. exports.

President Barack Obama declared on Wednesday the time for talk is over and urged the U.S. Congress to vote on healthcare.

JP Morgan's private bank has embarked on an international expansion in a bid to reduce its focus on the United States, expand its Europe footprint and join the battle to tap the ultra-wealthy in emerging markets.

U.S. stock index futures were slightly lower on Thursday ahead of data on weekly jobless claims and international trade.

Oil has rallied to within sight of its 2010 high this week, but the physical crude markets in Asia and Europe are telling a more bearish story about oversupply and sluggish demand.

India's export taxes on iron ore and plans to ramp up supplies to domestic steel mills will cut shipments to key buyer China in the long term, and aid miners wrangling for a steep hike in term prices, if not scrap them.

In a tunnel deep beneath Shenyang's busy streets, Lu Ze flicked a switch and a lone light bulb revealed a cluttered concrete floor.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has written to the European Commission warning that plans to regulate hedge funds and private equity firms could cause tensions with Washington, the Financial Times reported.

The apparent loss this week of a U.S. in-flight refueling tanker contract worth up to $50 billion will not affect EADS's finances, the European aerospace group's chief executive said on Thursday.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday, pointing to a weaker start for Wall Street. By 0859 GMT (3:59 a.m. ET), futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2 to 0.3 percent.

A spike in Chinese inflation weakened equity markets on Thursday, as investors pondered the prospects of interest rate hikes in one of the world's main economic drivers.

Toyota Motor said on Thursday it has handed over to a U.S. congressional committee a letter sent to its management by a splinter union in 2006 seeking reforms to improve safety after a recall crisis at the time.

The U.S. dollar is still the most important world currency, Standard & Poor's said on Thursday, but added that rising levels of U.S. debt and dependence on foreigners to finance much of pose risks to the currency's primacy.

Asian stocks fell on Thursday as investors worried strong loan growth and quickening inflation in China would spur Beijing to tighten monetary policy sooner than expected, while the yen rebounded against major currencies.

Asian stocks fell on Thursday as investors fretted over tighter monetary policy in China on the back of strong loan growth and quickening inflation, while the yen struggled amid signs that Japan's economy may need more support.

Macquarie Group Ltd, Australia's largest investment bank, wants to add more bankers in the United States to advise energy, industrial and technology companies, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing an interview with a top company executive.

The Senate on Wednesday passed a $149 billion package of jobless aid and tax breaks, as Democrats continued efforts to lower the 9.7 percent unemployment rate before congressional elections in November.

(Corrects day bill passed to Wednesday in paragraph 6)

While James Cameron's 3D sci-fi epic Avatar took the box office by storm instantly, the road to success will be much longer for Best Buy Co Inc, which is making a big bet on 3D televisions this year.