UNITED STATES

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's role as market supervisor and investor protector should not be sacrificed as Congress considers creating one entity to oversee all risk in the financial system, the head of the agency said on Thursday.

General Motors Corp said on Thursday that 7,500 workers -- or about 12 percent of its U.S. factory workforce -- represented by the United Auto Workers union had accepted buyout offers to leave the struggling automaker's payroll.

Chrysler LLC said on Thursday that it had extended the deadline for its blue-collar workers to accept retirement incentives and buyouts to leave the company.

U.S. securities regulators will bolster the regulation of money market funds and the protection of investors who entrust their funds to broker-dealers and investment advisers, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission told Congress on Thursday.

A U.S. crackdown on European online gambling breaches World Trade Organization rules and would justify action at the World Trade Organization, the European Commission said on Thursday.

Federal Reserve buying of longer-dated Treasury securities ought to lower interest rates, but this potentially inflationary stimulus may prove tough to unwind, a top Fed policy-maker said on Thursday.

Washington Post Co plans to offer a new round of buyouts in 2009 to employees at its namesake, money-losing newspaper, according to a memo obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

Iran said on Thursday it would attend a U.N. conference on the future of Afghanistan which was proposed by Tehran's old foe the United States and called for a regional solution to the crisis.

For decades, the United States beckoned as the land of opportunity for bright, young Indians, lured by the prospect of prestigious university degrees followed by jobs on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley.

Britain's attorney general ordered an investigation on Thursday into whether the security services played any role in the torture of a British resident recently released from the U.S. military's Guantanamo prison.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc's adjusted quarterly profit topped analysts' estimates on Thursday, helped by higher-than-expected concentrate sales, sending shares up 9 percent.

President Barack Obama defended his strategy of tackling multiple challenges instead of focusing solely on fixing the U.S. economy in a return on Wednesday to the political fund-raising that helped elect him.

Stocks rose on Thursday after strong results at Best Buy lifted consumer shares, although worries over the fate of banks emerged as details on sweeping rules to regulate the financial system were unveiled.

China on Thursday slammed a Pentagon report on its growing military might, saying criticism of China's lack of transparency betrayed Washington's Cold War mindset and risked damaging ties.

The U.S. economy contracted slightly more than previously estimated in the fourth quarter, pulled down by falling consumer spending and exports, while corporate profits plunged by the biggest margin since 1994, government data showed on Thursday.

One month of improved data does not constitute an economic recovery and recession in the United States will last for at least a few more months, Atlanta Federal Reserve President Dennis Lockhart said on Thursday.

Online social network Xing plans to more than double its number of members in German-speaking markets in the coming years as it expands in Europe and creates new jobs.

A key congressional committee on Wednesday approved a $3.45 trillion budget framework for next year that embraces many of President Barack Obama's priorities but spends slightly less than he sought.

Wall Street was set for a higher open on Thursday as reports on economic growth and jobless claims came in roughly as forecast, while shares of Best Buy jumped after its results beat expectations.

Best Buy Co posted a 23 percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday, but its adjusted results topped Wall Street estimates, helped by better-than-expected consumer demand and strong sales of mobile phones.

Toyota Motor Corp will continue to sell the current, six-year-old Prius alongside the upcoming new version, at least in Japan, its president said on Thursday.