UNITED STATES

Family members of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy gathered on Thursday for a private Mass at the seaside home where the 77-year-old towering figure in Democratic politics died two days ago.

A senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) broke ranks with the government over the future of Opel on Thursday, saying Canadian automotive firm Magna is not necessarily the best bidder for the carmaker.

Italy's anti-trust watchdog said on Thursday it was opening an investigation into Google's Italian news website after local papers complained that they were forced to appear on the site (http://news.google.it).

Energy Conversion Devices Inc swung to a quarterly loss as demand for its products continued to fall, sending shares of the solar company down 5 percent.

Afghan officials said on Thursday they had delayed releasing further results from the nation's disputed presidential poll, adding further confusion to a contest which appears headed for a second round.

NEW YORK - Interest rates on U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose 0.02 percentage point in the latest week, according to a survey released on Thursday by home funding company Freddie Mac (FRE.N).

Oil pared early gains to drop to near $71 a barrel on Wednesday, extending losses from the previous session as rising U.S. crude stockpiles and a dip in equity markets outweighed bullish economic data.

The $10.5 million pay package for American International Group Inc's new chief executive Robert Benmosche will likely be approved formally by the U.S. government's compensation czar Kenneth Feinberg next week, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

BANGALORE - Garmin Ltd (GRMN.O) has chosen a wireless carrier for its long-awaited navigation-enabled smartphone set for a fourth-quarter launch in the United States, but the navigation device maker stopped short of naming the company.

Stocks defying gravity?; Reconciliation at AIG; Airlines Recovering

The U.S. economy appears to have stabilized and may not need all the stimulus the central bank had planned to offer, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said on Thursday.

Wall Street opened little changed on Thursday after data showed the U.S. economy shrank less than expected in the second quarter and initial jobless claims fell, but not as much as forecast.

Wall Street was set to open little changed on Thursday after data showed the U.S. economy shrank less than expected in the second quarter and initial jobless claims fell, but not as much as forecast.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week to 570,000, and those collecting long-term unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level since April, government data showed on Thursday.

With the U.S. economy mired in recession, workers are finding themselves stuck in bad jobs with such annoyances as managers who berate employees and bosses who hold meetings in bed.

Microsoft Corp plans to slash the price of its high-end Xbox 360 video game console by $100, or 25 percent, stepping up the price war in the video game console market following a similar move by rival Sony Corp.

Industrialized nations can deepen planned cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to shore up a U.N. climate treaty due in December but analysts say there are risks they will promise more than they deliver.

Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker was quoted on Thursday as saying the U.S. economy was stabilizing after a painful recession and the shattered housing market will no longer be a drag on economic activity.

Oil fell toward $71 on Thursday, after touching 10-month highs earlier this week, as swollen crude and distillate inventories in the United States, the world's largest fuel consumer, weighed on sentiment.

Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker was quoted on Thursday as saying the U.S. economy was stabilizing after a painful recession and the shattered housing market will no longer be a drag on economic activity.

MILLIS, Mass. - As he finished packing corn, tomatoes and blueberries into shopping bags at a Massachusetts farm, software engineer Alex Lian said his new shopping habits had changed his attitude to food.