UNITED STATES

Walgreen Co, the largest U.S. drugstore chain, reported a quarterly profit that topped expectations as it began to benefit from a make-over that includes sprucing up stores and cutting jobs, sending its shares 10 percent higher.

Lawyers for Oscar-winning film director Roman Polanski lodged an appeal with a Swiss court on Tuesday against his arrest on a U.S. extradition warrant to face sentence over having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

Walgreen Co, the largest U.S. drugstore chain, reported a quarterly profit that topped expectations, as it began to benefit from a make-over that includes sprucing up stores and cutting jobs, sending its shares higher.

The economy is still spooking shoppers. U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween this year, down from $66.54 in 2008, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

European shares dipped on Tuesday after the previous session's sharp gains, dragged lower by commodity stocks, but financials offered support after BNP Paribas raised capital to shake off government influence.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday following solid gains in the previous session as investors awaited data on home prices and consumer confidence.

Walgreen Co , the largest U.S. drugstore chain, reported a quarterly profit that topped expectations, as it began to benefit from a make-over that includes sprucing up stores and cutting jobs, sending its shares higher.

Walgreen Co , the largest U.S. drugstore chain, posted a slightly smaller quarterly profit on Tuesday, weighed down by weak sales of summer merchandise and costs behind its strategy to makeover its stores and streamline its overall operations.

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Tuesday as investors awaited data on home prices and consumer confidence, following solid gains in the previous session.

Oil dipped toward $66.50 a barrel on Tuesday as a weak demand outlook was expected to be reinforced by weekly inventory data from the United States.

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Tuesday as investors awaited data on home prices and consumer confidence, following solid gains in the previous session.

Hedge fund manager John Paulson is considering merging troubled U.S. finance company CIT Group with failed mortgage lender IndyMac Federal Bank , the New York Post said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Stock futures were down on Tuesday morning, indicating a weaker start for Wall Street. The futures for Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were down 0.1 to 0.3 percent by 4:20 a.m. EDT.

UBS chief executive Oswald Gruebel said Paine Webber, the bank's U.S. wealth management unit, is non-core but the bank will not sell at present, the Financial Times quoted him as saying.

Oil held steady around $67 a barrel on Tuesday after climbing more than 1 percent a day ago, boosted by strong equities markets and Iran's missile tests, but gains were moderated by expected builds in U.S. fuel stocks.

Asian shares rose on Tuesday as news of several multi-billion dollar takeover bids overseas boosted confidence in a global economic recovery, while the yen slid after Tokyo hinted currency intervention could be an option in some cases.

Asian shares rose on Tuesday, as news of several multi-billion dollar takeover bids overseas boosted confidence in global economic recovery, while the yen dipped after Tokyo refused to rule out currency intervention.

Chief Executive Howard Schultz called Starbucks Corp's Via Ready Brew perhaps the biggest opportunity in company history as he prepared for the instant coffee product's North American roll-out on Tuesday.

A federal judge on Monday agreed to move accused swindler Allen Stanford to a federal lockup in downtown Houston to be closer to his attorneys, who are sifting through over 4 million documents in his case.

Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski told his lawyer on Monday to fight any attempt to extradite him to the United States for the 31-year-old rape charges.

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