IBT Staff Reporter

Top U.S. telecom executives gave a mixed outlook for the U.S. economy on Thursday, citing a lack of job creation, even as AT&T Inc CEO said the company will add more mobile customers this quarter than last.

Electric Co's deal to provide the parent of No. 2 U.S. carrier American Airlines with $1.88 billion of financing and also to sell engines for up to 100 new jets is its largest aviation finance deal in about a decade, a GE executive said on Thursday.

European plane-maker Airbus has increased its forecasts for long-term new plane demand but said the current industry crisis is likely to spark a spate of new order cancellations this winter.

Chemical shipments on U.S. railroads fell 9.1 percent last week, the Association of American Railroads said on Thursday.

U.S. stocks were little changed in choppy trading on Thursday as investors paused after an extended period of gains, expressing worries about a pullback.

President Barack Obama on Thursday dumped a Bush-era missile defense plan for Europe that Russia had bitterly opposed and offered what he said would be faster, more flexible defense systems to protect against Iran.

World leaders are likely to agree to curb bank bonuses at next week's G20 summit and want evidence recession is over before they stop spending to prop up their economies, European heads of government said on Thursday.

Exclusive deals between mobile phone makers and carriers got support on Thursday from two Republican members of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which is probing if the arrangements harm consumers in rural markets.

Popular reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance has made peace with America's gay community by putting a same-sex Latin ballroom couple into a new round of competition and appointing an openly gay judge.

The stock of Mexican telecommunications provider Axtel rose for a third straight session on Thursday on news that it plans to offer satellite television, creating tougher competition for media giant Televisa.

British private equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd is improving results at EMI, but said it might have paid too much money for the debt-laden home of the Beatles and Coldplay.

Oil prices slipped slightly in seesaw trading Thursday as U.S. equities fell, again raising concern about the economy and a rebound in energy demand.

Emily, the 3-year-old girl that made headlines for throwing a foul ball back caught by her father at the Phillies' game was interviewed by reporters.

Former members of The Clash, Mick Jones and Nicky Topper Headon, have recorded together for the first time in almost 30 years by reworking a version of the punk rock band's 1978 song Jail Guitar Doors.

Users of Microsoft Office or Windows Live will soon have the option of trying out Microsoft's new Office Web Apps.

Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13 led the contenders for the 10th annual Latin Grammys with five nominations, organizers said on Thursday, while Brazilian star Caetano Veloso and alternative Mexican band Cafe Tacvba were among the diverse acts with multiple mentions.

In a career spanning some 40 movies including global hits The English Patient and Chocolat, Juliette Binoche has built a strong reputation by playing many erotically charged and emotionally naked characters.

Hard core vampire fans take heart, a new movie about the fabled living dead has a bit more bite to it than the popular Twilight brand of blood suckers.

Germany's Siemens aims to build on its leading position in offshore wind turbines to become the world's third-biggest supplier to the wind industry overall by 2012, a senior executive said.

U.S.-based solar panel maker First Solar Inc said on Thursday that it will supply 27 megawatts of solar panels for utility projects in the United States to a unit of juwi Holding AG.

European plane maker Airbus expects a spate of order cancellations by cash-strapped airlines this winter to contribute to flat overall sales next year, its chief operating officer said on Thursday.

Employers may bear the brunt; Billions for AMR; AT&T's Flat Projections

Shares of American Airlines parent AMR Corp soared as much as 25 percent Thursday after the company said it had raised $2.9 billion and would shift flying to more profitable routes.

FedEx Corp reported a 53 percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday as the worldwide economic downturn continued to weigh on shipping volumes.

Solar power makers will get a boost in California, already their largest U.S. market, as it sharpens its focus on small-scale projects as part of efforts to get a third of its power from renewable energy.

One needs to look no further then the river that runs through Shangba to understand the extent of the heavy metals pollution that experts say has turned the hamlets in this region of southern China into cancer villages.

A stretch of Enbridge Inc's crude oil pipeline from Canada to the United States was operating normally after being shut by a power outage last week, the company said on Thursday.

Electrical components maker Thomas & Betts Corp expects to see flat volumes through the end of the year, a top executive said in an analyst presentation on Thursday.

U.S. stocks declined on Thursday, weighed down by materials and financial shares as investors paused following a three-day run-up.