UNITED STATES

Charles Gibson will step down as news anchor on ABC television's

Australian Dollar: The Australian Dollar has firmed once again and opens on Thursday at 0.8340 against its US counterpart. During the local session yesterday the Aussie reacted positively to the release of better than expected economic growth numbers moving to an intraday high of 0.8317.

Tony Blair, the former prime minister of Britain, will take a break from seeking peace in the Middle East to trade jokes with comedian David Letterman on his first ever

The French take their food seriously. In a land of three hour dinners, afternoons spent at outdoor cafes, hundreds of different kinds of cheese and mandated 35-hour work weeks, the French seem to spend about as much time and energy eating and drinking as they do working.

Perhaps the most colorful and loveable of the traveler trifecta of food, shelter and water is food. Where to get it,

U.S. airlines must replace speed sensors on some of their Airbus planes, parts that have come under scrutiny since the crash of an Air France jetliner three months ago.

Venus Williams defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-2 in a match Wednesday in the U.S. Open despite an injury to her left knee.

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as jitters about the economy prompted investors to unload some shares for a fourth-straight day even after a sharp drop in the previous session.

Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, will be buried today in a Los Angeles Jewish cemetery according to reports from TMZ.

The United States lost fewer private sector jobs in August than in July while companies planned fewer layoffs, suggesting modest improvement in the beleaguered U.S. labor market.

With risks considerably reduced that the stabilizing U.S. economy could suffer a relapse, the Federal Reserve decided to continue its emergency long-term security buying programs as promised, documents released on Wednesday showed.

Major exchanges differed on how far U.S. securities and futures regulators should align their rules, with the world's largest - the Chicago Mercantile Exchange - arguing against a one-size-fits-all rule.

The U.S. economy is recovering but growth will only pick up gradually and inflation is not a threat in this subdued environment, a top Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday.

Oil prices settled unchanged on Wednesday after government data showing a smaller-than-expected drop in U.S. crude stocks offset a steep drop in gasoline inventories.

Diversified U.S. manufacturer Danaher Corp on Wednesday announced two deals to expand its life sciences specialty instruments business, while saying it plans to cut more jobs as it accelerates its restructuring.

The United States lost fewer private sector jobs in August than in July while companies planned fewer layoffs, suggesting modest improvement in the beleaguered U.S. labor market.

Federal Reserve officials in August believed risks to the U.S. economy had eased considerably but thought low interest rates would be needed for an extended period to bolster what would likely be at best a modest recovery, documents released on Wednesday showed.

(Corrects spelling of Johnathan in 16th paragrah)

U.S. securities regulators missed repeated chances to uncover Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, a sharply critical review by a federal watchdog said on Wednesday.

The United States lost fewer private sector jobs in August than in the prior month while companies also planned fewer layoffs, suggesting modest improvement in the beleaguered U.S. labor market.

Pfizer's Criminal Promotion; Modest Labor Gains; Millions for Bank Execs