UNITED STATES

Edward M. Kennedy died of brain cancer at age 77 on late Tuesday at home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors turned back an early sell-off, thanks to a rebound in oil prices.

Two more U.S. pay-TV providers, Time Warner Cable Inc and Verizon Communications Inc, plan to test systems to offer shows on the Web to paying customers in a bid to protect their subscription revenue.

Accused swindler Allen Stanford was hospitalized with a high pulse rate on Thursday, hours before he was to appear at a court hearing where his former top aide entered the first guilty plea in a $7 billion fraud case.

Madonna on stage in Bucharest, Romania condemned the widespread discrimination that exists in Eastern Europe against the Gypsy people – prompting mixed reactions from 60,000 crowed with many responding with jeers.

Dell Inc.'s second-quarter profit was plunged 23 percent as the personal-computer industry's slump dragged on this summer. Dell said it earned $472 million, or 24 cents a share, on revenue of $12.76 billion.

Just two months out of bankruptcy, Chrysler Group has renewed the hunt for a manufacturing partner in China as it prepares to revamp its product lineup under the control of Italy's Fiat SpA (FIA.MI), three people with knowledge of the discussions said.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) and Chrysler Group LLC said on Wednesday they have abandoned vehicle-supply projects announced last year that would have provided Nissan with a Chrysler-produced pickup truck.

NEW YORK - Cash crude differentials mostly firmed for a second day on Thursday on renewed refinery buying, but pared gains late in trade as the discount narrowed for prompt crude on futures markets.

U.S. mortgage rates rose slightly in the latest week but still remained at historically low levels that should spur home loan demand and help the hard-hit U.S. housing market recover.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit a Lockheed Martin Corp production plant for the F-35 fighter aircraft, the Pentagon's costliest arms purchase program, and an L-3 aircraft facility, highlighting their importance to the U.S. Defense Department, a Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday.

The U.S. economy has been improving, and dollar investors are starting to take notice. But punters who bet on more greenback gains from stronger U.S. economic data and interest rate hikes could be disappointed.

NEW YORK - U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors turned back an early sell-off, thanks to a rebound in oil prices.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating whether any state residents were among the thousands of U.S. customers of Swiss bank UBS AG who may have evaded income taxes.

Opel has the liquidity to operate until next year, a senior German government official said on Thursday as a rift appeared to develop in the ruling party over whether the General Motors Co unit should be sold to Canada's Magna International (MGa.TO).

U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors turned back an early sell-off, thanks to a rebound in oil prices.

NEW YORK - Moody's Investors Service is reviewing debt of Sallie Mae (SLM.N), the largest U.S. student loan provider, for a possible ratings downgrade due to concerns about future earnings and cash flow, the rating firm said on Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp has decided to end production at a California plant it has shared with General Motors for 25 years, industry sources said on Thursday.

The Black Eyed Peas extended their unprecedented run at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart to 21 weeks on Thursday, while Miley Cyrus kept partying at No. 2.

Vital signs for healthcare stocks are improving at the expense of what is shaping up to be a watered down government health reform initiative.

Actress Lindsay Lohan is pictured in this police booking photograph released July 24, 2007. California officials, on August 23, 2007, charged Lohan with seven misdemeanor counts of cocaine possession, drunken driving and reckless driving stemming from two arrests.