IBT Staff Reporter

After months of negotiations between Deutsche Bahn and the train driver's union GDL didn't bring a conclusion, the GDL decided to strike again. And the nearly sole operator of the extensive German railway system Deutsche Bahn issued another lawsuit to avert the strike in response. The GDL announced a nationwide rail strike for tomorrows Friday, and the labor court in the city of Chemnitz will begin the trial this afternoon. It depends on the outcome of this trial if the GDL can proceed with their plans.

Stocks barely budged on Thursday as investors shied away from making big bets before Friday's jobs data that could shed light on the economy and the outlook for interest rates.

A growing sense of urgency is pushing world leaders to agree a new treaty to fight climate change but the U.S. presidential election might still foil hopes of a deal by the end of 2009, experts say.

World stocks held just below this week's record high on Thursday while the euro was steady as investors bet the worst of the credit crisis is over and looked to the European Central Bank chief for clues on monetary policy.

Gold rebounded to trade higher on Thursday after hitting two-week lows, as the metal's allure as an alternative investment rose with a drop in the dollar.

Stocks were little changed on Thursday as investors paused before Friday's key employment report that could shed light on the economy and the outlook for interest rates and corporate profits.

The dollar fell on Thursday, snapping a three-day rally, as dealers anticipated Friday's September U.S. payrolls data may still keep the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates later this month.

In the market for a new video iPod? Head to Hong Kong or, if Europe-bound, stop off in Switzerland. But best avoid Brazil.

Nintendo has reworked one of its most beloved franchises in a new Zelda video game designed to appeal to a broader audience.

Sony Corp said on Thursday it sold a record number of its PlayStation Portables (PSP) in Japan in September as a slimmer and cheaper version of the handheld game machine helped drive demand.

Web search leader Google Inc said on Thursday it is closing the gap with rival Baidu in China, after years of trying to increase market share in the world's second-largest Internet arena.

Wendy's International Inc said on Thursday sales at its company-owned hamburger restaurants open at least 15 months rose 0.2 percent in the third quarter.

Leaders of the two Koreas agreed on Thursday to try to bring peace to the Cold War's last frontier, just a day after the North signed up to an international deal to disable its nuclear facilities.

Around 1,250 miners remained trapped more than a mile underground in a South African gold mine on Thursday after an all-night rescue mission.

Bear Stearns Cos Inc said on Thursday it expects that departing star money manager will take about $8 billion of its asset management division's $44 billion of assets with him.

Flat screen maker LG.Philips LCD Co. Ltd. and two Taiwan rivals are set to post strong quarterly profits, and growing demand for flat screens and tight supply are likely to ensure a healthy market through 2008.

Oil prices steadied near $80 on Thursday after a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories overshadowed an unexpected decline in fuel stocks.

Toyota Motor Corp unveiled the production model of its Lexus IS F sports car on Thursday as it aims to close the gap with global luxury car heavyweights Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG.

Pfizer Inc on Thursday named Martin Mackay, one of its senior research executives, as its new research chief, and selected a Merck & Co Inc research officer to head clinical development of its medicines.

Stricken British mortgage lender Northern Rock may have borrowed a further 2.9 billion pounds ($5.9 billion) from the Bank of England in the past week, according to Bank of England data.

New orders at factories fell more than expected in August and jobless claims climbed last week, government reports showed on Thursday, but markets awaited more conclusive evidence of the impact of the housing slump and credit crisis on the economy.

Yahoo Inc, is working with auction leader eBay Inc and its PayPal payments unit to block fake e-mails to users purporting to be from eBay and PayPal, hoping to spur on an industry that has been slow to fight the scourge of so-called phishing attacks.

General Motors Corp will be able to replace roughly a quarter of its factory workers with lower cost hires under the tentative contract reached last week with the United Auto Workers union.

Bear Stearns Cos Inc is seeing renewed flows in the financial markets as fear eases after this summer's credit crunch, the firm's president said on Thursday.

The first 150 of 3,200 trapped deep underground in a gold mine were brough to the surface early on Thursday.

Spanish-owned O2 UK and U.S. consumer electronics group Apple plan to launch a multi-million pound joint advertising campaign later this month as they get ready to bring iPhone mobile phones to Britain.

Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, plans to offer new options for customers who pay for calls in advance and the company will send advertising alerts to subscribers who ask for the information, according to marketing chief Mike Lanman.

Blockbuster Inc, whose management met with members of Wall Street last week, is expected to report a fall in subscribers to its online DVD rental service, some investors and analysts said.

An international crackdown on Internet financial scams this year has yielded more than $2.1 billion in seized fake checks and 77 arrests in the Netherlands, Nigeria and Canada, U.S. and other authorities said on Wednesday.