UNITED STATES

U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday as Spain said it would take wide austerity measures, further easing jitters over euro-zone sovereign debt woes.

U.S. stock index futures rose modestly on Wednesday as Spain said it would make wide austerity measures, further easing jitters over euro-zone sovereign debt woes.

Global woes and the uncertainty over the future have forced investors to go for bullion and the prospects for silver is extremely good in the coming years, said metal consultants CPM Group.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher start for Wall Street on Wednesday, on track to reverse the previous session's losses, with futures for the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all up around 0.2 percent by 04:40 a.m. EST.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday described the Greek debt crisis to lawmakers as a European dilemma but one that could have hit U.S. banks if left unattended, senior senators said.

Global oil prices dropped below $76 a barrel in Asian trade Wednesday mainly on declining market enthusiasm over a huge Eurozone rescue package. Light sweet crude for June delivery was seen trading at $75.84 a barrel at 11.30 a.m Singapore time while Brent crude was at $ 80.34 a barrel at the same time in London.

Gold prices eased in Asian trade Wednesday after closed near to all time high overnight. Gold for immediate delivery was seen trading at $1227.58 an ounce at 11.30 a.m Singapore time from Tuesday's close of $1232.05 an ounce.

Morgan Stanley Chief Executive James Gorman said he had no knowledge of any U.S. federal investigation into the Wall Street firm as was reported by media.

The last major European country to approve keeping Opel afloat with money backstopped by taxpayers could make a preliminary recommendation on Wednesday affecting as many as 120,000 jobs in Germany alone.

The euro slipped on Wednesday on nagging worries about festering euro zone debt problems despite a $1 trillion rescue package unveiled this week, which fueled a short-lived rally in global stocks.

Hyundai Motor Co has floated plans to enter the high-stakes U.S. pickup truck market and proposed a partnership with Chrysler Group LLC, three people with knowledge of the process said.

General Motors Co is considering options that would give it a captive auto financing arm and allow its dealers to offer more competitive loans and lease deals, two people with knowledge of the plans said.

Global oil prices dropped below $76 a barrel in Asian trade Wednesday mainly on declining market enthusiasm over a huge Eurozone rescue package. Light sweet crude for June delivery was seen trading at $75.84 a barrel at 11.30 a.m Singapore time while Brent crude was at $ 80.34 a barrel at the same time in London.

A special board committee of American International Group Inc has hired its own financial adviser, a sign the insurance company is setting plans to repay taxpayers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Gold is setting its price at historic records even as European nations led by Greece are in the grip of a huge debt crisis. On Tuesday, gold futures on Comex surged to hit a record high of $1,232.50 an ounce. This is the first time in the history of bullion trading that gold has zoomed to touch this level.

A Canadian man pleaded guilty to illegally using the wires to transmit bets and wagering information in connection with an alleged $350 million Internet gambling scheme, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said.

The top securities regulator said no single event had been found to explain Thursday's mysterious market plunge, but the shocking drop was unacceptable and additional safeguards were coming.

The top securities regulator said no single event had been found to explain Thursday's mysterious market plunge, but the shocking drop was unacceptable and additional safeguards were coming.

The Australian Dollar has opened weaker this morning following a raft of news releases overnight across the globe.

The Senate on Tuesday challenged the Federal Reserve's tradition of secrecy but postponed an overhaul of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under a massive reform of banking regulations.

The largest U.S. banks would have to come up with plans for regulators to dismantle them in times of severe distress, under a new rule proposed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp on Tuesday.