IBT Staff Reporter

Chelsea have been reportedly preparing a third and final bid, around the region of £35 million for Modric, while they close in Barcelona youngster Romeu.

McDonald's Corp reported quarterly profit that topped analysts' expectations on strength in the Europe and the United States, and shares rose more than 2 percent.

Stock index futures were little changed on Friday as Caterpillar's profit missed estimates, offsetting a strong report from GE and an agreement on a Greece rescue package.

Uncertainty is proving a two-edged sword for CME Group Inc .

Stock index futures cut their gains and turned negative on Friday as Caterpillar Inc fell following its results.

Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, Sony Music Entertainment and Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group are among the music companies and private equity firms interested in buying EMI Group Ltd , people familiar with the situation said.

The ongoing healthcare reforms cannot be isolated from the controversy that has exposed President Barack Obama's desperation to tag along his mother, who was often portrayed as a victim of health care insurers.

Manchester United are relentless, even in pre-season, as they handed Seattle Sounders a 7-0 trouncing, with Wayne Rooney grabbing a 21-minute hat-trick at the CenturyLink Field.

Strong U.S. sales for Chrysler and growth in Brazil will help offset a weak European car market for Fiat SpA , which is tightening its grip on the U.S. automaker.

Stock index futures rose on Friday as an agreement in Europe for a Greece rescue package eased investor anxiety that fiscal instability would spread through the region.

New York City increased marriage slots for Sunday, July 24, a historical day when the state's same-sex marriage law takes effect. All the 823 couples who registered for a lottery will be accommodated.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.24 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.37 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.23 percent at 0927 GMT.

POSCO <005490.KS>, the world's No.3 steelmaker, warned of weakening demand growth and persistently high input costs in the second half, after posting a 17 percent fall in quarterly operating profit.

So strong is the appeal of the Apple brand in China, some Chinese are willing to sell a kidney to pay for its gadgets.

One of Sony Corp's insurers has asked a court to declare that it does not have to pay to defend the media and electronics conglomerate from mounting legal claims related to a massive data breach earlier this year.

World stocks hit a two-week high on Friday and the euro and oil prices rose after European leaders agreed on a package to rescue Greece that hopes to prevent the region's debt crisis from deepening.

BP boss Bob Dudley is under pressure to clear up confused strategy and revive the oil giant's share price when it reports second-quarter earnings next week that will lag well behind its peers.

POSCO <005490.KS>, the world's No.3 steelmaker, met market expectations with a 17 percent fall in quarterly operating profit on Friday, hurt by firm raw material costs and cheaper products from Japanese rivals after the March 11 earthquake.

Good demand for Volvo's trucks in the face of macroeconomic uncertainty led to record second-quarter operating profit and boosted its shares on Friday.

Japan's World Cup-winning women's soccer team coach apologized on Friday after inappropriate comments one of his players made about him were published on the social networking site Twitter.

Volvo stuck to its forecast for 2011 truck market sales and cut its outlook for the market for construction equipment due to a softer China, when reporting second-quarter earnings that met expectations.

Asian stocks rose and the euro climbed to a two-week high on Friday after European leaders agreed on a package to rescue debt-stricken Greece and gains will be sustained if U.S. policymakers also manage to cobble together a last minute deal.

India is nearing the end of its credit tightening cycle, as 10 interest rate increases since March 2010 exact a toll on growth in a once-roaring economy, making Tuesday's expected rate rise potentially the last for the near future.

U.S. authorities indicted three Credit Suisse AG private bankers, one a senior executive, on Thursday, toughening their stance against the bank for allegedly helping wealthy Americans to evade taxes.

Both Oracle Corp and Google Inc have taken unreasonable positions on the scale of damages involved in a high stakes patent battle over the Android operating system, a U.S. judge said in court.

Thomas Voeckler, Andy Schleck, and Cadel Evans are now the remaining contenders for the Tour de France overall victory after Stage 18.

Japan's major consumer electronics makers are expected to show April-June earnings collapsed due to the March earthquake, but focus is turning to whether they can meet their forecasts for a swift recovery, given a fragile global economy.

Both Oracle Corp and Google Inc have taken unreasonable positions on the scale of damages involved in a high stakes patent battle over the Android operating system, a U.S. judge said in court.

The FBI's arrest this week of 16 people who allegedly participated in high-profile cyber attacks is providing a treasure trove of information and will lead to further arrests, a U.S. law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.