IBT Staff Reporter

The South Korean bourse on Thursday approved an estimated $4 billion IPO by leading life insurer Samsung Life Insurance, paving the way for what is likely to be the country's biggest share float in May.

Taiwan will further scrutinize American International Group's stalled $2.2 billion sale of its Nan Shan Life unit, and may decide on its fate before the end of June.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) may file an application with the U.S. securities regulator for an initial public offering.

U.S. stock index futures were lower on Thursday ahead of a report on weekly jobless claims and after data showed a jump in Chinese inflation.

With Governor David Paterson enveloped in scandal, New York's lieutenant governoris leading the notoriously difficult budget process and freeing up his boss to fight for his political life, experts say.

British cable operator Virgin Media is testing a new technology to deliver ultrafast broadband over telegraph poles which could allow it to extend its reach to another 1 million homes.

Democrats in the House of Representatives moved on Wednesday to limit the ability of lawmakers to tuck pet projects into spending bills amid mounting election-year ethics concerns.

President Barack Obama, anxious to spur growth and tackle unemployment, will name two top executives from Boeing and Xerox on Thursday to spearhead his drive to boost U.S. exports.

President Barack Obama declared on Wednesday the time for talk is over and urged the U.S. Congress to vote on healthcare.

JP Morgan's private bank has embarked on an international expansion in a bid to reduce its focus on the United States, expand its Europe footprint and join the battle to tap the ultra-wealthy in emerging markets.

U.S. stock index futures were slightly lower on Thursday ahead of data on weekly jobless claims and international trade.

Oil has rallied to within sight of its 2010 high this week, but the physical crude markets in Asia and Europe are telling a more bearish story about oversupply and sluggish demand.

India has adjusted its export tax on iron ore several times over the last two years as the government tries to contain inflation and meet demand from domestic industries.

India's export taxes on iron ore and plans to ramp up supplies to domestic steel mills will cut shipments to key buyer China in the long term, and aid miners wrangling for a steep hike in term prices, if not scrap them.

Trying to guess when the Bank of Japan will make its next policy move? For now, try watching the yen.

In a tunnel deep beneath Shenyang's busy streets, Lu Ze flicked a switch and a lone light bulb revealed a cluttered concrete floor.

With videos of catwalk shows, pictures of glamorous models and a catalog of chic products, luxury brands are creating digital mirrors online as they turn to the internet to tap into growing e-commerce demand.

Chinese consumer inflation spurted to a 16-month high in February and a raft of economic data displayed broad-based strength, providing fresh arguments for policy tightening sooner rather than later.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has written to the European Commission warning that plans to regulate hedge funds and private equity firms could cause tensions with Washington, the Financial Times reported.

The apparent loss this week of a U.S. in-flight refueling tanker contract worth up to $50 billion will not affect EADS's finances, the European aerospace group's chief executive said on Thursday.

Airlines are recovering strongly from the crisis, as passengers, freight and pricing power return, the airline industry association IATA said on Thursday, halving its forecast for a 2010 loss.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday, pointing to a weaker start for Wall Street. By 0859 GMT (3:59 a.m. ET), futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2 to 0.3 percent.

A spike in Chinese inflation weakened equity markets on Thursday, as investors pondered the prospects of interest rate hikes in one of the world's main economic drivers.

Toyota Motor said on Thursday it has handed over to a U.S. congressional committee a letter sent to its management by a splinter union in 2006 seeking reforms to improve safety after a recall crisis at the time.

The U.S. dollar is still the most important world currency, Standard & Poor's said on Thursday, but added that rising levels of U.S. debt and dependence on foreigners to finance much of pose risks to the currency's primacy.

Asian stocks fell on Thursday as investors worried strong loan growth and quickening inflation in China would spur Beijing to tighten monetary policy sooner than expected, while the yen rebounded against major currencies.

Asian stocks fell on Thursday as investors fretted over tighter monetary policy in China on the back of strong loan growth and quickening inflation, while the yen struggled amid signs that Japan's economy may need more support.

Sony Corp has unveiled its new motion-controlled video game system, pitching it to both casual and hard-core gamers alike, as the company looks to ride one of the hottest trends in gaming.

Macquarie Group Ltd, Australia's largest investment bank, wants to add more bankers in the United States to advise energy, industrial and technology companies, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing an interview with a top company executive.