UNITED STATES

Demand for home purchases picked up for the third week in a row last week, though applications for refinancing sagged, an industry group said on Wednesday.

U.S. import prices rose in February as petroleum surged, a government report showed Wednesday, but underlying imported inflation pressures remain muted.

U.S. imports grew more than exports in the fourth quarter of last year, increasing the nation's foreign trade deficit for the period to $124.1 billion, a 15 percent jump and far more than expected, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

In a resignation letter published in the New York Times, Greg Smith said he was disgusted at how the Wall Street firm valued making money from clients over trying to help them. But Goldman and its chief executive said the ex-executive's criticisms weren't reflective of the firm.

President Barack Obama's job approval ratings rose by 2 points to 50 percent in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. Obama's ratings have reached 50 percent for the first time since last July. The poll indicates that more number of Americans now believe that the President is doing his job well than those who think he is not.

Stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday as investors weighed comments from the Federal Reserve on the economy and banking sector against the recent five-day rally.

Stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday, putting the benchmark index on track for its sixth straight advance after comments from the Federal Reserve on the economy and banking sector helped boost optimism.

Facebook filed for an IPO on Feb. 1 but has since amended its registration document twice. Here are four important things to know about the world's biggest social media company.

The frequent runner-up urged supporters to help him beat presumptive front-runner Romney. Now is the time to pull together, Santorum said. We are campaigning everywhere there are delegates because we are going to win this nomination before the convention.

China must embrace slower growth and bolder political reform to keep its economy from faltering and to spread wealth more evenly, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday, vowing to use his last year in power to attack mounting discontent that he warned could end in chaos.

Stock futures signaled a mixed opening for Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.1 percent, the Dow Jones futures down 0.2 percent and the Nasdaq 100 futures falling 0.1 percent.

China and Arab countries have agreed to reach a political solution for the ongoing Syrian crisis, Chinese envoy Zhang Ming said Tuesday after talks in Egypt with Arab league officials. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council member nations are boosting the efforts to end the Syrian political unrest.

In the two years since the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, groups outside candidates' own campaigns have spent $90 million trying to affect the outcome of November's presidential election, the Center for Responsive Politics says. That's more than twice the $38 million spent by this point in the 2008 campaign.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Surfaxin (lucinactant) to treat Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), a life-threatening condition affecting pre-term babies.

Five major U.S. banks have agreed to pay $25 million to New York State over their use of an electronic mortgage database that the state said resulted in deceptive and illegal practices that led to more than 13,000 foreclosures.

The outlook for Mexican economy has brightened in recent months with demand from the U.S. strengthening and also with signs that domestic activity is recovering according to Capital Economics.

Flat screen maker LG Display Co Ltd is supplying touch-screen panels for Apple Inc's new iPad, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday.

Taiwan's AU Optronics Corp will appeal a guilty verdict by a U.S. court in a price fixing suit over liquid crystal display panels that could leave it facing a fine of up to $1 billion just as it looks to recover from a series of losses.

China will intensify reforms of its currency regime and allow the yuan to float more freely, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday at the end of an annual parliament session punctuated by signs of a slowing economy.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans support imposing a minimum tax rate of 30 percent on those who earn $1 million or more a year, according to Reuters/Ipsos poll results released on Tuesday.

China will intensify reforms of its currency regime and allow the yuan to float more freely, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday at the end of an annual parliament session punctuated by signs of a slowing economy.