IBT Staff Reporter

The Singapore Exchange Ltd is tying up with London's main bourse to make a joint bid for the London Metal Exchange, a source told Reuters on Friday, as the world's largest metal market seeks a suitor in a deal that could be worth 1 billion pounds ($1.57 billion).

McGraw-Hill Companies Inc is in advanced talks to merge its S&P Indices business with CME Group Inc's Dow Jones Indexes, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

World stocks fell on Friday with European shares on track to mark their biggest quarterly loss since the collapse of Lehman Bros three years ago as European economic readings compounded pessimism over global growth.

World stocks fell on Friday with European shares on track to mark their biggest quarterly loss since the collapse of Lehman Bros three years ago as European economic readings compounded pessimism over global growth.

European shares extended losses on Friday as investor fears for a global economic slowdown mounted.

The euro zone crisis looms like a dark cloud over Europe's biggest economy, but Stephan Gais can't see it. Not for now at least.

Bank of America Corp plans to charge customers who use their debit cards to make purchases a $5 monthly fee beginning early next year, joining other banks scrambling for new sources of revenue.

To get an idea how emerging markets are reshaping global consumption patterns, look no further than the cocoa bean.

Stock index futures pointed to a weaker open for equities on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 down 0.6 to 0.8 percent.

The rock-bottom price of the new Kindle Fire tablet computer is raising questions about Amazon.com Inc's ability to keep up with demand and the device's effect on the company's already razor-thin profit margins.

Global wine auctions and investments will slow next year as the euro zone crisis and slowdown in the U.S. economy take their toll on the wine industry, but Asia may prove slightly more resilient, said Pancho Campo, a Spanish wine expert.

The Singapore Stock Exchange Ltd is tying up with London's main bourse to make a joint bid for the London Metal Exchange, a source told Reuters on Friday, as the world's largest metal market seeks a suitor in a deal that could be worth 1 billion pounds ($1.57 billion).

Japan said on Friday it will boost its currency intervention fund and keep watching dealers' trading positions in yet another effort to tame the yen in the face of growing evidence that its strength is stalling the economy's post-quake rebound.

European stock index futures fell on Friday, putting shares there firmly on course to post their biggest quarterly decline since the months following the collapse of Lehman Brothers three years ago.

New Zealand suffered two ratings downgrades within hours on Friday when Standard & Poor's and Fitch cut the country's ranking by one notch over concerns about its growing foreign debt.

Online poker site, Full Tilt Poker, which U.S. federal prosecutors have accused of running a Ponzi scheme, had its gambling license revoked by Alderney Gambling Control Commission , the gambling regulator said on Thursday.

Asian stocks fell on Friday, extending the worst monthly performance since the most volatile days of the global financial crisis in October 2008, with Chinese shares racking up sharp losses.

Asian stocks steadied on Friday with big gains unlikely as investors looked to take profits after three days of gains, while the euro held its tiny increase following Germany's approval to expand the euro zone bailout fund.

Some large U.S. banks would have stronger capital bases to better deal with today's market stresses had regulators not relaxed bailout repayment criteria in late 2009, a new government audit showed on Friday.

Behind the doors of a nondescript red brick and gray building of the Idaho National Laboratory is the malware laboratory where government cyber experts analyzed the Stuxnet computer virus.

Asian stocks fell Friday, extending the worst monthly performance since the most volatile days of the global financial crisis in October 2008, with Chinese shares racking up sharp losses.

Asian stocks fell on Friday, extending the worst monthly performance since the most volatile days of the global financial crisis in October 2008, with Chinese shares racking up sharp losses.

Burger and ice cream chain Friendly's is close to filing for bankruptcy and may try to sell itself at auction, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The use of stimulant medication amongst children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, continues to rise.

New Zealand suffered its second ratings downgrade within hours on Friday as Standard & Poor's cut the country's rating by one notch because of its growing foreign debt, after rival Fitch Ratings' had taken similar action.

New Zealand suffered its second ratings downgrade within hours on Friday as Standard & Poor's cut the country's rating by one notch because of its growing foreign debt, after rival Fitch Ratings' had taken similar action.

Missouri Republicans have backed down from their threats to hold their presidential primary in February, electing to hold a caucus on March 17 instead -- but in other states, the mad rush for early primaries continues, to the detriment of voters.

Asian stocks steadied on Friday with big gains unlikely as investors looked to take profits after three days of gains, while the euro held its tiny increase following Germany's approval to expand the euro zone bailout fund.

Facebook faces regulatory scrutiny in Ireland, site of its European headquarters, over its handling of personal information, the Financial Times reported on Friday.