UNITED STATES

About a dozen people died in a shootout in Mexico between soldiers and suspected drug traffickers ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the drug war, Mexican media reported on Thursday.

General Growth Properties Inc, the second-largest U.S. mall owner, declared bankruptcy on Thursday in the biggest real estate failure in U.S. history.

In his second big trip abroad since becoming U.S. president, Barack Obama arrives in Mexico on Thursday to show support for the Mexican government's efforts to fight a devastating drug war and boost security along the U.S. border.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week, government data on Thursday showed, but so-called continued claims rose to a fresh record as the recession bit.

The Verizon Hub, a new kind of home phone with some Web add-ons like weather and traffic reports, will soon come with an applications market, following a trend among cellphone makers such as Apple to open up to third-party apps.

The mustached face of Sir Allen Stanford, the billionaire Texan accused of an $8 billion fraud by U.S. regulators, can be yours for only $29.99.

EBay Inc offered to buy South Korean online retailer Gmarket Inc for up to $1.2 billion, making it the leader in the world's sixth-largest e-commerce market.

Harley-Davidson Inc said on Thursday that quarterly earnings fell 37 percent, pulled down by costs from its recession-triggered restructuring as well as a tax change in its home state of Wisconsin.

Harley-Davidson Inc reported stronger-than-expected earnings on Thursday, and reiterated its full-year shipment forecast, saying it was mildly encouraged by sales trends in the United States, its biggest market by far.

The number of Americans claiming jobless aid hit a record early in April and groundbreaking for new homes slumped sharply in March, according to data on Thursday that showed the economy still being held back by the recession.

Water scarcity means big growth for companies that purify, transport, and distribute the world's most essential resource, but a global recession that has halted new projects and put off price hikes means water investors will have to wait for the boom years.

New U.S. housing starts fell in March after a surprise surge the previous month, government data showed on Thursday, dealing a blow to hopes that housing market stability was on the horizon.

New U.S. housing starts fell more than expected in March after a surprise surge the previous month, government data showed on Thursday, dealing a blow to hopes that housing market stability was on the horizon.

JPMorgan Chase & Co reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit on Thursday as improved investment banking performance offset increased losses from credit cards and other consumer debt.

New U.S. housing starts fell more than expected in March after a surprise surge the previous month, government data showed on Thursday, dealing a blow to hopes that housing market stability was on the horizon.

More than half of U.S. adults used the Internet to participate in the 2008 election -- the first time that threshold has been crossed, according to a study released Wednesday.

Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding brushed off the downturn in the first quarter, posting a 7 percent rise in sales led by cancer medicine Avastin, and sounded a confident note for the full year.

JPMorgan Chase & Co

Stock futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday after the bankruptcy of General Growth Properties offset better-than-expected quarterly earnings from JPMorgan Chase & Co .

JPMorgan Chase & Co

Mutual fund companies including BlackRock Inc are asking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to review rules for participating in the Federal Reserve's TALF program to boost lending, the New York Post said, citing sources.