UNITED STATES

Chrysler Group LLC would need time to find a permanent and stable replacement for providing auto loans if it loses access to bank financing it shares with General Motors Co, Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Thursday.

The federal judge handling more than 100 lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp over cars that raced out of control said on Thursday that he would decide by next week which plaintiffs lawyers would take a leading role in the massive litigation.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Wall Street banks used their own money to bet in financial markets against municipal bonds that they had sold, the Wall Street Journal said.

World oil prices continued its southern journey and dropped below $74 in Asian trade Friday mainly on demand concerns linked to European debt crisis. Light sweet crude for June delivery was seen trading at $ 73.75 a barrel at 11.30 a.m Singapore time while Brent crude was at $ 79.77 a barrel in London.

Gold prices recovered from overnight slump in Asian trade Friday but remained highly volatile as the dollar gained momentum. Spot gold was seen trading at $1235.54 an ounce at 11.30 a.m Singapore time while U.S. gold futures for June delivery was at $1,235.8 an ounce at the same time.

The video game industry has weathered the economic slowdown better than most industries, but there could be a reason -- free games with new figures showing up to a third of gamers don't pay to play.

India - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Government of Bihar to ensure better health facilities for the people in Bihar.

Prosecutors are conducting a broad criminal investigation of six major Wall Street banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup Inc, to determine if they misled investors, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The Australian dollar has opened lower this morning as investors moved away from risk assets, leading to falls in equities and commodity prices.

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters Life!) - The video game industry has weathered the economic slowdown better than most industries, but there could be a reason -- free games with new figures showing up to a third of gamers don't pay to play.

NBC is looking to social media to help it rise from its bottom place among the big four U.S. television networks.

Apple's allegations that Eastman Kodak infringed its patents will be investigated by the International Trade Commission, the agency said on Thursday.

The Federal Reserve's promise to hold interest rates ultra low for an extended period depends on economic conditions and could change if the recovery picks up, central bankers said on Thursday.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives will meet with employees to discuss privacy practices of the world's largest social networking website on Thursday, as criticism grows about the way it treats its 400 million users' personal information.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is expected to show it is losing shoppers to other retailers in an improving economy when it reports first-quarter earnings next week.

Home loan figures in Australia fell -3.4% in March exceeding expectations as signs the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate hikes are starting to have an impact.

Stocks fell on Thursday as downbeat comments on the economy from tech company Cisco Systems Inc and retail chain Kohl's Corp cast doubt on the strength of the U.S. recovery.

California is so not Greece.That's the broadly held view in the $2.8 trillion municipal bond market, which is puzzled by analysts, columnists, cartoonists and bearish investors comparing Greece's fiscal floundering and $1 trillion bailout to hard-pressed states such as California and Illinois.

The number of workers filing for jobless benefits fell only slightly last week, suggesting the unemployment rate will remain elevated even as recovery in the labor market builds steam.

Stocks fell on Thursday as downbeat comments on the economy from tech company Cisco Systems Inc and retail chain Kohl's Corp cast doubt on the strength of the recovery.

Stocks slid on Thursday, extending losses after executives with Cisco Systems Inc and Kohl's Corp made cautious comments about the strength of the economic recovery.