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Reports paint cloudy jobs picture

As the economy winds through housing troubles and turmoil in credit markets, the picture emerging from data measuring the health of the job market is clouded.Firms are showing a reluctance to lay off workers at the same time they are apprehensive about hiring new ones, creating a puzzling picture, economists say. Usually, low layoffs coincide with robust hiring.
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Recession talk: Mixed signals for the economy

Recession talk is heating up as the slumping housing market threatens to shackle free-spending consumers, yet stocks remain near record highs, indicating that many investors see little cause for alarm.
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Bush: Climate change progress must be measurable

U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday called for a "strong and transparent" way for nations to measure progress on fighting climate change but said each country should set its own approach. In a speech to a U.S.-sponsored conference of major emitting countries, Bush also called for the creation of a global fund to promote clean technology.
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Oil rises above $83

Oil rose above $83 a barrel on Friday and closed in on an all-time high as fund buying, spurred by a weak dollar, provided support.
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Stocks slip as quarter ends

Stocks dipped on Friday as money managers locked in profits on the last trading day of a strong September, while concerns surfaced about the strength of profits during a turbulent third quarter. Shares of technology, energy and material companies fell as investors took profits on the best-performing sectors for September, traditionally one of the weakest months for stocks.
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Takeover talk boosts shares in UK's Benfield

Shares in British reinsurance broker Benfield rose up to 13 percent on Friday after a report it had received an unsuccessful 700 million pound ($1.42 billion) bid approach from Goldman Sachs revived takeover speculation.
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Fed's Lockhart: inflation expectations anchored

Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Dennis Lockhart said on Friday that market turmoil could hit the U.S. economy and a moderation in inflation gave the Fed room to cut interest rates last week.
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Rich hit as cost of living lavish soars

Prices for luxury goods rose twice as fast as consumer prices this year, a study showed, showing the jet set needs even more to fund its lavish lifestyle.
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Europe and U.S. try to calm storm over Microsoft

European and U.S. antitrust regulators tried to calm a transatlantic storm on Thursday over a European Court ruling that Microsoft used monopoly power to muscle rivals, but did not back down over policy differences.
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World powers seek to narrow differences on Iran

The world's major powers will try to narrow their differences on tougher sanctions against Iran when they meet on Friday in New York, seeking to keep up pressure on Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
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August consumer spending up, prices tame

U.S. consumers boosted their spending at the strongest rate in four months during August and core consumer prices posted their smallest year-on-year rise in 3-1/2 years, the Commerce Department reported on Friday.
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Futures fall as upcoming data weighs

Stock futures dropped on Friday as oil prices hovered near record highs and investors turned cautious before economic reports that could provide clues about the outlook for interest rates and profits.
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Oil hovers near $83

Oil handed back early gains to stand below $83 a barrel on Friday, but stayed within sight of an all-time high as fund buying spurred by a weak dollar provided support.
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Oil makes big gains on brewing storm

Oil prices surged on Thursday, posting their biggest dollar increase in nearly eight months on concerns that a storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico could impact oil production sites
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Home sales fall, job market resilient

Sales of new homes plunged in August and prices posted their biggest year-on-year drop in nearly 37 years, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday, underlining the depth of problems facing the housing sector.
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Lead sets record high, copper firm on weak dollar

Renewed concerns over tight supplies and expectations of strong demand in the last quarter of the year sent lead prices to a record high on Thursday, while copper rose to a two-month high on a weak dollar.
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CNBC downplays Bear Stearns investor talk

Shares of Bear Stearns Cos Inc fell 3 percent on Thursday afternoon after a CNBC report downplayed any talks between the investment bank and potential outside investors.
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India needs to develop securitisation mkt - industry

India needs to develop its market for securitised assets and allow foreigners and pension funds to invest in the sector if it wants to free up funds to finance its rapid growth, industry experts said on the Thursday.

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