IBT Staff Reporter

DSG International , Europe's number two electricals retailer, said it did not expect a double-dip recession, and predicted a rerating of its shares as it delivers an improved trading performance.

God did not create the universe and the Big Bang was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Thursday after Wall Street's best day in eight weeks as initial jobless claims showed a small decline last week.

Time Warner Cable and Walt Disney Co ensured millions of U.S. cable customers can still watch some of their favorite TV programs while the companies kept working on a new programing deal after a midnight deadline passed.

Tough government follow-through on a freshly minted U.S. financial law will be crucial to ensure no bank or firm grows so large that its collapse could jeopardize the entire economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday.

The common diabetes drug metformin may hold promise as a way to keep smokers from developing lung cancer, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Recruiter Hays posted a halving of full-year pretax profit, beating forecasts, after growth in Asia helped it counter a tough first half which was battered by a difficult economic climate.

The euro edged up on Thursday after healthy results at Spanish and French bond auctions but investors cautiously awaited comments from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet. The ECB earlier left interest rates unchanged, as expected, at 1.0 percent. The decision had little impact on the euro. Trichet was due to hold a news conference at 1230 GMT.

World stocks hit a two-week high on Thursday and oil prices rose as optimism from strong U.S. and Chinese manufacturing data extended into a second day ahead of a euro zone interest rate decision and key U.S. jobs data.

Teenagers who sleep less than eight hours a night on weeknights eat more fatty foods and snacks than those who get more than eight hours of sleep a night, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Tens of millions of people in low and middle income countries would be pushed below the poverty line by buying common but vital medicines which are already unaffordable to hundreds of millions more, a study has found.

Retailers posted better-than-expected sales in August as consumers sought out bargains during the key back-to-school selling season.

With a diplomatic push from U.S. President Barack Obama, Israeli and the Palestinian leaders will start direct peace talks on Thursday shadowed by scepticism on all sides and fresh violence in the volatile West Bank.

The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold at a record low on Thursday, as expected, amid a lopsided economic recovery and continued worries about the banking sector.

U.S. communications regulators on Wednesday put off a controversial decision on Internet traffic rules, giving industry and consumer groups a chance to forge a compromise while avoiding a politically sensitive issue ahead of the November elections.

Oil steadied near $74 a barrel on Thursday, weighed by record high inventories in top consumer the United States and investor caution ahead of U.S. employment reports.

Stock index futures pointed to a mostly lower open for U.S. shares on Thursday, giving back a little of the strong gains from the previous session, when they were boosted by strong manufacturing data from China and the United States.

The European Central Bank is expected to extend its liquidity safety-net on Thursday, delaying its exit from crisis support as policymakers confront a lopsided euro zone recovery and vulnerable banks in perimeter countries.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard came within grasp of a return to power on Thursday after one of four kingmaker MPs backed her Labor Party's bid to form a minority government following last month's dead-heat elections.

Asian stocks hit a two-week high, with Japan's Nikkei briefly rising more than 2 percent, as strong U.S. manufacturing data further soothed worries about the global economy.

DSG International , Europe's No. 2 electricals retailer, met forecasts for first-quarter sales with trade boosted by strong demand for TVs to watch the soccer World Cup and for Apple iPads.

Baidu Inc, operator of China's dominant search engine, said on Thursday that it will focus its future mobile Internet investments on its core search business as it takes aim at the next big Internet space.

Recruiter Hays Plc posted an 80 percent drop in full year pretax profit, hit by tough trading conditions in the first half.

Two struggling units of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc , the bankrupt U.S. investment bank, need hundreds of millions of dollars in capital to stave off failure that could cost Lehman billions, court documents show.

A booming market of tweens is changing the landscape of online games.

DSG International , Europe's No. 2 electricals retailer, met forecasts for first-quarter sales with trade boosted by shopper spend on TVs to watch the soccer World Cup and on Apple iPads.

Time Warner Cable and Walt Disney Co ensured millions of U.S. cable customers can still watch some of their favorite TV programs while the companies kept working on a new programing deal after a midnight deadline passed.

House prices fell much faster than expected last month but further declines are likely to be modest, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Thursday.

Stock index futures pointed to a mostly lower open for U.S. shares on Thursday, giving back a little of the strong gains from the previous session, when they were boosted by strong manufacturing data from China and the United States.