IBT Staff Reporter

Stock index futures pointed to gains on Friday, rebounding from the previous session's falls, as optimism gathered pace that a key labor market report will confirm the view that the economy was on a solid path to recovery.

Employment likely posted a second straight month of solid gains in March, marking a decisive shift in the labor market that should help to underpin the economic recovery.

For Fumihiro Shimizu and his family-owned auto parts plant in this company town, being a second-tier supplier for Japan's top car makers has never been easy.

April Fool's Day frenzy grips Twitter, with tweeps playing pranks, and a flood of jokes on celebrities like Rebecca Black, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.

As the world keep a close eye on the earthquake-crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, US Department of Energy has released Japan's radiological assessment results.

Barry Callebaut , which makes chocolate for Nestle and Hershey , expects to outpace the market in the second half of its fiscal year despite unrest in the top cocoa growing Ivory Coast region.

Portugal sold 1.65 billion euros in an extraordinary sale of short-term bonds on Friday, but analysts said its high cost of borrowing was still likely to force it into an international bailout within months.

Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent nearing $118, as investors anticipated U.S. payrolls data later in the session will confirm the improving economic outlook of the world's largest oil importer.

Factories in China and India bumped up production in March as manufacturers drew in more new orders, keeping price pressures intact and making further monetary tightening necessary.

Portugal will seek to sell up to 1.5 billion euros of bonds at an extraordinary auction on Friday, testing investor appetite for its debt after its president on Thursday called a snap election for early June.

World stocks rose and the euro weakened slightly against the dollar on the opening day of the second quarter, ahead of U.S. jobs data expected to give further impetus to those investors betting on improving world growth.

World stocks rose and the euro weakened slightly against the dollar on the opening day of the second quarter, ahead of U.S. jobs data expected to give further impetus to those investors betting on improving world growth.

The heads of bailed-out mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were paid fat salaries without proper written procedures or analysis, according to a report published by the Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA-OIG).

Morgan Stanley , Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co will soon join Citigroup and Bank of America Corp in allowing shareholders to vote on executive compensation, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

World number Rafael Nadal and third seed Roger Federer are set to clash in the semis of the Sony Ericsson Open, which is incidentally their first clash on American soil in six years.

A Chinese-Australian writer whose disappearance in China ignited alarm during a crackdown on dissent said on Friday he is safe and plans to return to Australia in coming days.

Asian shares outside Japan rose to their highest in nearly three years on Friday, looking to extend a three-quarter winning streak, while the yen slipped on the view Japanese interest rates will stay near zero for a long time to help the quake-ravaged economy.

Rebecca Black has taken the next step towards realizing the 'next Justin Bieber' tag by becoming the singer of 'most disliked' song on YouTube with 'Friday' beating 'Baby'.

Asian shares rose on Friday, looking to extend three straight quarters of gains, while the dollar strengthened against most major currencies after hawkish comments from a senior U.S. Federal Reserve official.

China issued a white paper on national defense, aiming to enhance its military's transparency and boost the world's trust in its commitment to peaceful development, the Xinhua reported on Thursday.

China has set its total output of rare earth at 93,800 tonnes this year, 4,600 tonnes more or 5.16 percent higher compared to last year's, the Ministry of Land and Resources said on Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> President Akio Toyoda said on Friday that the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan would hurt the company's earnings, but said that was not on his list of priorities.

Plans for nuclear power investment in the United States will be sidelined but not derailed by the problems Japan is having with the Fukushima nuclear plant, experts said in a panel discussion on Thursday.

Japan will take control of Tokyo Electric Power Co <9501.T>, the operator of a stricken nuclear plant, in the face of mounting public concerns over the crisis and a huge potential compensation bill, a local newspaper reported on Friday.

Brent crude was steady above $117, after earlier touching near a four-week high, as investors awaited an expected positive U.S. March payroll report due later on Friday for clues to demand prospects by the world's largest oil importer.

Chinese authorities found three companies linked to Google Inc broke tax rules and are investigating possible tax avoidance, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Thursday, raising the risk of fresh pressure on the Internet search giant.

Chinese authorities found three companies linked to Google Inc broke tax rules and are investigating possible tax avoidance, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Thursday, raising the risk of fresh pressure on the Internet search giant.

Japanese business morale improved slightly in the three months to March, the Bank of Japan's closely watched tankan survey showed, but the devastating earthquake earlier this month and a subsequent nuclear crisis are seen hurting confidence in coming months.

Japanese manufacturers' business sentiment improved slightly in the three months to March, the Bank of Japan's closely watched tankan survey showed, but analysts anticipate a downturn in confidence this quarter following last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis.