UNITED STATES

Wall Street was set to open lower on Thursday as a weak holiday quarter forecast from retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc sparked concerns about consumer spending, threatening to break a six-session rally for the Dow.

CNN host Lou Dobbs, whose outspoken views on U.S. immigration have made him one of the most controversial figures on television, said on Wednesday he is leaving the 24-hour cable news network immediately because he wants a freer platform to state his opinion.

Good news for fans of Michael Jackson, the Beatles and other veteran artists.

Bangladeshis seeking to learn English and better their job prospects abroad need not look further than their mobile phone, which will feature brief lessons conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Oil dipped below $79 a barrel on Thursday as an expected hike in U.S. crude stocks and a rise in the dollar from 15-month lows outweighed an IEA report that said global oil demand will return to growth this quarter.

U.S. stock index futures briefly pared losses on Thursday after weekly jobless data showed the number of U.S. workers filing new benefit claims fell for the second week in a row.

Rising unemployment is the biggest threat to free trade and could spark greater protectionist policies around the globe, the head of the World Trade Organisation said on Thursday.

U.S. home foreclosure filings slowed in October for a third straight month, but rising unemployment will spur another record year of failing mortgages in 2010, real estate data company RealtyTrac said on Thursday.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless insurance fell for the second week in a row and the four-week moving average of claims was the lowest in nearly a year, government data showed on Thursday, pointing to improvements in the labor market.

Refinancing drove total U.S. mortgage applications higher last week as fixed borrowing costs fell further below 5 percent, but home purchase demand sank to a nine-year low, an industry group said on Thursday.

Hewlett-Packard Co is making a move into the network equipment market by striking a $3.1 billion deal for 3Com Corp, in a major challenge to Cisco Systems Inc.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday as an earnings forecast from retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc sowed doubt about consumer spending for the rest of 2009, threatening to end a six-session rally for the Dow.

Policymakers should consider ways of shifting from a dollar-centric global monetary system to one with a wider range of reserve assets and some form of insurance that would reduce reserve accumulation, IMF economists say.

The dollar edged lower on Thursday, struggling with growing calls for Asian currencies to trade more freely -- effectively appreciate -- but supported by profit-taking on recent gains in other currencies like the euro.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc reported a higher quarterly profit as the world's biggest retailer clamped down on inventory and controlled expenses, but forecast earnings for the current period that could miss current Wall Street estimates.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc reported a higher quarterly profit as the world's biggest retailer clamped down on inventory and controlled expenses, but forecast earnings for the current period that could miss current Wall Street estimates.

The boards of British Airways and Spain's Iberia are holding separate board meetings to consider a merger to create the world's third largest airline by revenue, they said on Thursday.

Gold Hits New High; Shift to Market Currencies; New Deficit Fighting Tactic

Asia-Pacific finance ministers were set to call for flexible exchange rates among measures to try to reduce global economic imbalances that were at the heart of the financial crisis.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday as investors awaited earnings from retail giant Wal-Mart after the Dow and the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at 13-month highs in the previous session.

Gold rose above $1,120 an ounce to a fresh record high on Thursday, the U.S. dollar hovered near 15-month lows while shares weakened, particularly in emerging markets. Gold prices pushed to the record high in part because of dollar weakness.