UNITED STATES

A fall of more than 10 percent in the average apartment price in Manhattan in the third quarter from a year earlier attracted buyers who pushed up the number of sales by over 45 percent in just one quarter, industry reports showed Friday.

The largest private forest owner in California, Sierra Pacific Industries, is entering carbon markets with a deal to preserve redwoods and other trees and sell credits for soaking up greenhouse gases to power companies and investors, the company said on Wednesday.

General Electric Co is holding discussions on partnerships or an IPO for its NBC Universal unit, Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt said, as expectations grow about a deal with cable operator Comcast Corp .

U.S. stock index futures slipped on Friday as cautious investors awaited a key report on labor market conditions after other data this week suggested the nascent economic recovery may be losing momentum.

Toyota's Dollar Difficulties; IPO for NBC Universal?; Restructurings Ahead

U.S. stock index futures slipped on Friday as cautious investors awaited a key monthly employment report after other data this week suggested the nascent economic recovery may be losing momentum.

European shares hit a four-week low on Friday, extending the previous day's sharp losses, with investors anxious before key U.S. jobs figures after data this week raised doubt about the strength of economic recovery.

An avalanche of large U.S. businesses will need to be restructured over the next 12 to18 months, said Rob McMahon, head of General Electric Corp's Restructuring Finance Group.

Weakness in miners and financials dragged Britain's top share index 0.9 percent lower by midday on Friday, as weak data this week increased investors' concerns, denting risky assets ahead of U.S. non-farm payrolls data.

Equity markets across the globe tumbled and the U.S. dollar broadly held firm on Friday as doubts grew about the pace of economic recovery and the week's major data on U.S. jobs loomed large.

A pact to cooperate on schedules and prices between British Airways , American Airlines and Iberia may have violated EU antitrust rules, European Union antitrust regulators said on Friday.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 fall 0.3-0.4 percent, pointing to a weaker start on Wall Street on Friday.

Asian shares fell on Friday as disappointing U.S. manufacturing data raised concern that its economic recovery may not be as fast as thought, while the dollar remained firm as investors booked profits on gains in higher-yielding currencies.

General Electric Co is holding discussions on partnerships or an IPO for its NBC Universal unit, Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt said, amid expectations about a deal with cable operator Comcast Corp .

World stocks fell and the U.S. dollar broadly held firm on Friday as doubts grew about the pace of economic recovery and the week's major data on U.S. jobs loomed large.

The head of Toyota Motor Corp on Friday called the current dollar-yen rate very tough, saying the weak U.S. currency made it difficult to return to profit on an unconsolidated level.

U.S. auto sales tumbled by 23 percent in September as showrooms emptied after the government-funded boom from the cash for clunkers program, with General Motors Co and Chrysler hardest-hit.

The head of Toyota Motor Corp on Friday called the current dollar-yen rate very tough, saying the weak U.S. currency made it difficult to return to profit on an unconsolidated level.

Women who are overweight or obese when they get pregnant are more likely to give birth to children with congenital heart defects, according to a U.S. government study released on Thursday.

Oil fell toward $70 a barrel on Friday, driven lower by the dollar's recovery and concerns over U.S. employment data, while worries over the West's talks with Iran about the OPEC member's nuclear plan eased.

Asian shares fell on Friday as disappointing U.S. manufacturing data raised concerns that its economic recovery may not be as fast as previously thought, while the dollar remained firm as investors booked profits on higher-yielding currencies.