UNITED STATES

Applications for U.S. home loans slid last week despite the lowest mortgage rates in more than three months, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

Citigroup's life insurance unit Primerica filed for an initial public offering of up to about $234 million, as part of the financial giant's plans to shed assets outside its core banking business.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday on par with global stocks as a renewed promise of extended low interest rates from the Federal Reserve enticed investors into riskier assets.

Protesters emptied bottles of their blood outside the home of Thailand's prime minister on Wednesday after the government rejected calls for elections, but the opposition campaign was showing signs of flagging.

The Bank of Japan loosened monetary policy on Wednesday in a split vote that suggested the central bank would struggle in the future to meet government demands for easier monetary conditions.

Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi edged past Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday in results from Iraq's fragmented March 7 vote that may lead to months of political bargaining and create a risky power vacuum.

Under heavy Republican attack, Democrats in the House of Representatives on Tuesday defended plans to pass a healthcare overhaul without a direct vote as President Barack Obama's top domestic priority neared a make-or-break showdown.

Shares of Intel Corp jumped 4 percent to their highest in more than a year on expectations that robust Asian sales and a rebound in corporate spending will help the chipmaker beat current-quarter earnings estimates.

It's early days, but speculation is already building that HSBC may participate in the auction for a $3.9 billion stake in Korea Exchange Bank , South Korea's sixth-largest lender.

The World Bank raised its 2010 growth and inflation forecasts for China and recommended a tighter monetary policy as well as a stronger exchange rate to restrain inflation expectations and asset bubbles.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 all up around 0.2 percent.

World stocks climbed on Wednesday in response to a relatively optimistic outlook from the U.S. Federal Reserve combined with a pledge to keep interest rates low.

Technology stocks pushed Asian shares to a two-month high on Wednesday, powered by hopes of strong earnings for Intel, while the yen faltered after the Bank of Japan loosened policy in a bid to spur the flagging economy.

China said on Wednesday it could not be any clearer in its repeated commitment to a stable exchange rate after the U.S. Congress threatened to levy duties on some Chinese exports if it fails to revalue its currency.

Simon Property Group Inc is weighing a higher bid for General Growth Properties Inc after the No. 2 U.S. mall owner came up with a rival plan to emerge from bankruptcy as a standalone company, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Technology plays led Asian shares higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve maintained its pledge to hold interest rates near zero, which kept the dollar near one-month lows against major currencies.

Amazon.com Inc said that John Doerr, a renowned venture capitalist who, early on, funded many of the Internet's biggest names, will not run for reelection to the board at the company's next shareholder meeting.

Google Inc's initial sales of its Nexus One smartphone have significantly lagged the pace of Apple Inc's iPhone and Motorola Inc's Droid sales coming out of the starting gate, an analytics firm said on Tuesday.

Stocks rose to a fresh 17-month high on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and maintained its pledge to keep them low for an extended period.

The Federal Reserve renewed its pledge on Tuesday to keep interest rates near zero for an extended period even as it sounded more upbeat about jobs.

Members of Congress on Tuesday threatened Beijing with duties on some of its exports if it fails to revalue its currency, pressuring the Obama administration to label China a currency manipulator.