IBT Staff Reporter

Tens of thousands more Pakistanis are likely to be forced from their homes in 2010 as the military continues an assault against the Taliban, the head of the U.N. office responsible for emergencies said on Thursday.

Brian Moynihan, the new chief executive of Bank of America (BAC.N), has been confirmed as one of the four bank executives set to testify Wednesday before a U.S. commission created by Congress to examine the financial crisis.

The White House was poised to release a report on Thursday that top aides said will shock Americans about security lapses that allowed a Nigerian man to come close to blowing up a Detroit-bound airliner on December 25.

Insurer Pearl Group (PEARL.AS) said a dispute with its bondholders over repayment terms won't jeopardise its efforts to obtain a listing on the London Stock Exchange's (LSE) most closely-regulated segment.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday congressional Democrats were close to agreement on merging their healthcare bills but still faced challenges in blending the two approaches.

A Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a U.S.-bound plane on Christmas Day was recruited by al Qaeda in London and met a radical American Muslim cleric in Yemen, a senior Yemeni official said on Thursday.

Google Inc sweetened its bid for On2 Technologies with a cash portion the boosts the deal value by 20 percent to $134 million, months after shareholders of the video compression technology company balked at the initial price.

The U.S. commercial paper market had its biggest weekly percentage contraction in a decade, suggesting companies were nervous about the prospects for a sustained economic recovery, analysts said.

Brazil's government will likely reduce the blend of anhydrous ethanol in commercial gasoline from the current upward limit of 25 percent, Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes said Thursday.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and Sempra Energy (SRE.N) have received bids for their commodities joint venture from a trio of banks keen to expand in the booming business, a person familiar with the matter said.

Worldwide venture capital investment in green technology companies fell 33 percent in 2009 to $5.6 billion during the global financial turmoil, according to a survey by Cleantech Group and Deloitte.

Life insurance company Symetra Financial Corp set the terms of its initial public offering on Wednesday, lowering the overall value of the deal from its October filing and signaling that it is likely to price soon.

Hedge funds are at the top of a list of financial career categories with fewer job postings compared to a year ago in the United States.

Canada's Goldcorp Inc (G.TO) said on Thursday it will spend $513 million to buy mining giant Xstrata's (XTA.L) 70 percent interest in the El Morro copper-gold project in Chile, foiling Barrick Gold's (ABX.TO) plans to acquire the stake.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless aid edged up by a slim 1,000 last week and a gauge of underlying labor market trends hit a nearly 16-month low, evidence the job market continues to heal.

U.S. retailers posted better-than-expected December sales, and many raised profit forecasts as they benefited from a late holiday shopping surge and discounts that were more modest than a year ago.

China Investment Corp (CIC), a $300 billion wealth fund, may be weighing up a bid for state-owned Chinalco's stake in mining giant Rio Tinto (RIO.AX) in what would be its boldest move yet into natural resources.

Dubai World, the state- owned holding company seeking to restructure its debt, moved to quell speculation it could present its restructuring plans to creditors on Thursday, as reported by an Arabic-language newspaper.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and U.S. group Sempra Energy (SRE.N) have received a trio of bids worth about $4 billion for their commodities joint venture, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Japan's new finance minister, Naoto Kan, said he expected a state-backed fund to support Japan Airlines (9205.T), fuelling growing expectations that Asia's largest carrier by revenue will be bailed out with public money

Stocks were down on Thursday alongside weak global markets as the U.S. dollar strengthened after the government reported a slight increase in initial jobless claims.

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment insurance rose less than expected last week and a measure of underlying trends hit a nearly 16-month low, government data showed on Thursday, underscoring the improving labor market tone.

Wall Street opened slightly lower on Thursday as the U.S. dollar strengthened after the government reported that initial jobless claims rose less than expected.

Lennar Corp posted its first quarterly profit in almost three years, helped mainly by a tax benefit, and the news drove up its shares and those of other large homebuilders.

Prospective bidders in Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands were making last-ditch efforts on Thursday to buy Saab, hours before a deadline set by owner General Motors to either sell or close the Swedish carmaker.

The Bank of England kept the scale of its asset purchase programme unchanged at 200 billion pounds ($319 billion) on Thursday and said it would decide whether or not to extend it next month.

Bidders in Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are making last-ditch efforts on Thursday to buy General Motors -owned Saab, as the deadline for its sale loomed, threatening the Swedish car brand with closure.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday alongside weak global markets as the dollar rallied after the government reported initial jobless claims rose less than expected.

Future hazy as Google makes waves; China sued over Internet filter; Fed sees jobs turnaround