JOBS

Stock futures were weaker on Thursday, easing after the S&P 500 benchmark index racked up its highest closing level for the year, while investors awaited data on the labor market.

Apple's new iPod lineup, unveiled by Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs on his first public appearance since his liver transplant, disappoins investors as it didn't add as many new features as some analysts predicted, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

A frail-looking Steve Jobs stepped back into the spotlight for the first time in nearly a year on Wednesday, unveiling new and cheaper iPods for Apple Inc and drawing a standing ovation.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs has shown up at a Wednesday media event and is set to make his first public appearance in half a year, CNBC reported.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs has shown up at a Wednesday media event and is set to make his first public appearance in half a year, CNBC reported.

A gaunt-looking Steve Jobs stepped back into the spotlight for the first time in more than half a year on Wednesday, unveiling new iPods for Apple Inc and drawing a standing ovation.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs bounced back into the public spotlight for the first time in over half a year on Wednesday, triggering a standing ovation and helping the company's shares gain nearly 1 percent.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs returned to the public spotlight for the first time in half a year on Wednesday, helping the company's shares gain nearly 1 percent.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs returned to the public spotlight for the first time in half a year on Wednesday, helping the company's shares gain nearly 1 percent.

Investors jumped back into equities on Monday, sending world stocks close to their highest level for the year, while the dollar weakened against a basket of currencies as demand for risky assets rose across the board.

Investors jumped back into equities on Monday, sending world stocks close to their highest level for the year, while the dollar weakened against a basket of currencies as demand for risky assets rose across the board.

A White House environmental policy adviser who specialized in green jobs resigned on Sunday after an uproar over his previous affiliation with a September 11 conspiracy group.

Investors jumped back into equities on Monday, sending stocks up more than 1 percent, after a rare week of losses, while the dollar weakened and gold was steady at just below $1,000 an ounce.

Shares in Asia rose on Monday after U.S. data showed a slowdown in layoffs, while Chinese shares extended gains on hopes that Beijing will pull out more policy tools as needed to support its volatile stock market.

Shares in Asia rose on Monday after U.S. data showed a slowdown in layoffs, while Chinese shares extended gains on hopes that Beijing will pull out more policy tools as needed to support its volatile stock market.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Friday as investors focused on the bright side of a mixed payrolls report that showed smaller-than-expected job cuts in August, even though the unemployment rate hit a 26-year high.

Oil prices slipped on Friday, weighed down by concerns about economic recovery after U.S. jobs data showed the unemployment rate at a 26-year high.

Oil ticked up above $68 a barrel on Friday in relatively thin dealing as investors awaited jobs data from the United States to provide some insight into the health of the world's top economy.

Gold eased below $990 an ounce on Friday after a two-day rally that took the market to within a whisker of $1,000, as an uptick in the dollar index after U.S. non-farm payrolls data prompted some traders to cash in gains.

Oil dropped below $68 a barrel on Friday, weighed down by a stronger dollar after U.S. data showed the unemployment rate rose by less than expected, albeit to a 26-year high.

U.S. employers cut a fewer-than-expected 216,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate rose to a 26-year high, the government said on Friday in a report showing a still fragile labor market.