IBT Staff Reporter

The world's dominant planemakers scored new orders as Airbus put the finishing touches to a record 2011, cruising peacefully for now above debt turmoil and new airline cutbacks in Europe.

Damaging hailstorms in Australia. Unprecedented tornadoes in the southeastern United States. Constant windstorms in northern Europe. Sound familiar?

The world's dominant planemakers scored new orders as Airbus put the finishing touches to a record 2011, cruising peacefully for now above debt turmoil and new airline cutbacks in Europe.

The S&P 500 closed at a five-month high for the third day on Thursday but had difficulty extending gains in the face of lackluster economic data and another European bond market test.

Dish Network Corp will be closing more U.S. Blockbuster stores across than it had originally planned, and will turn the remaining outlets partly into Dish customer-service points, Chief Executive Joe Clayton told Reuters.

Former United Nations ambassador John Bolton endorsed Mitt Romney on Thursday, adding another name to the list of conservative politicians who have come out in support of the former Massachusetts governor as he attempts to gain credibility among conservative voters.

Sweden dealt a symbolic blow to the global fight against digital music and film piracy by recognising a group that promotes file-sharing across the Internet as a religion.

US Airways Group and private equity firm TPG Capital are among several parties interested in potential bids for AMR Corp , the bankrupt parent of American Airlines, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Greece could reach a bond swap deal with private creditors to reduce its debt load by the end of next week, with a formal offer possible by early February, a finance ministry source said on Thursday.

The May 2010 flash crash was bad for almost everyone involved in the stock market, but for the Securities and Exchange Commission, it was a disaster.

Greece could reach a bond swap deal with private creditors to reduce its debt load by the end of next week, with a formal offer possible by early February, a finance ministry source said on Thursday.

InterContinental Hotels Group Plc, the world's largest hotelier, expects a boost to its business in the United States after linking up with five of its rivals in a newly-launched online hotel search website called Room Key.

A Moroccan rapper who has become one of the monarchy's boldest critics was freed on Thursday after serving four months for assault, a charge which his lawyers say was a ploy to muzzle the popular singer.

Hampton Adams has been one of CES' most loyal devotees for 15 years. But unlike a good chunk of the 140,000-plus who descend on the world's largest technology showcase every January, the portfolio manager is less keen on fiddling with cutting-edge technology than picking winners.

Former customers of MF Global Holdings Ltd's collapsed brokerage were disappointed to hear on Thursday that the trustee hunting for funds missing from their accounts has no immediate plans to transfer more money to them.

Target Corp., known to many U.S. shoppers as the place to go for trendy, low-priced merchandise, will soon have shops within its discount stores selling everything from dog treats to high-end home accessories.

U.S. retail sales rose at the weakest pace in seven months in December and first-time claims for jobless benefits moved higher last week, signs the economic recovery is shaky despite a recent pick-up in growth.

U.S. airlines are ringing in the new year with higher ticket prices, according to one airfare tracker.

U.S. stocks paused on Thursday after a three-day rally, with investors concerned about weaker U.S. economic data and comments from the European Central Bank chief that painted a mixed picture of the region's debt crisis.

Hedge funds are positioning to profit from a plan to slash Greece's towering debt pile as Athens enters final talks that could sway the country's membership of the euro.

Global investment in clean energy hit a record $260 billion in 2011, up 5 percent from the previous year as investment in solar grew by more than a third despite shrinking profit margins, some bankruptcies and flagging share prices, a report said.

Danish wind turbine maker Vestas will cut 2,335 jobs in a bid to restore profitability after rising costs wiped out its 2011 earnings.

U.S. stocks paused on Thursday after a three-day rally, with investors concerned about weaker U.S. economic data and comments from the European Central Bank chief that painted a mixed picture of the region's debt crisis.

A Moroccan rapper who has become one of the monarchy's boldest critics was freed on Thursday, activists said, after he served a four-month sentence for assault, a charge which his lawyers say was a ploy to muzzle the popular singer.

The head of British chip designer Arm Holdings plc has shrugged off the latest attempt by Intel Corp to muscle its way into the expanding market for low-power processors used in smartphones and tablets, which ARM dominates.

The Bank of England stopped short of announcing further stimulus for Britain's fragile economy on Thursday, but is widely expected to do so in February as the economy may have shrunk at the end of last year.

Trulia, a real estate website that competes with Zillow Inc, unveiled a new service on Thursday that helps real estate agents identify the best leads by tapping a trove of data the company started analyzing last year.

Daimler Trucks will hire 1,200 new workers by September in North Carolina to add a second shift at its largest Freightliner vehicle manufacturing plant and boost staff at a nearby components plant.

Home goods retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc said heavy discounting to attract bargain-hungry holiday shoppers would eat into its fourth-quarter earnings, sending its shares slipping as much as 15 percent.