IBT Staff Reporter

Cracks deepened in Asian equities on Thursday, with markets set to post their worst daily performance in more than five months, while the euro took a breather from its recent rally as it neared key resistance levels.

The United States and China on Wednesday agreed on $45 billion in U.S. export deals and to give U.S. companies greater access to China's $88 billion-plus government contracts market at the start of Chinese President Hu Jintao's four-day state visit.

Asian stocks retreated from two-month peaks on Thursday due to disappointing earnings from Wall Street majors, while the euro gave in to some profit taking after extending its rally overnight to a eight-week high.

Among the group of 25 female leatherback turtles tracked by scientists, Darwinia was the best diving sea turtle out of all. Scientists placed a simple transmitter on the back of the turtle and tracked them for over 5 years.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams charged Doctor Kermit Gosnell with first degree murder in the killing of seven viable babies born alive, among numerous other charges made on Wednesday.

Burning Man tickets 2011 which will be held in Black Rock City, Nevada are available for purchase currently.

Samsung Electronics Co said on Thursday it had acquired Dutch display firm Liquavista, which specializes in electronic paper technology, as the world's biggest LCD screen maker seeks to expand in the booming mobile display market.

For U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro, the choice of a Goldman Sachs Group insider as her new top funds regulator could be a double-edged sword.

Tom Hardy, who played Eames in Christopher Nolan's dreams-within-dreams film Inception last year, has been cast by the director as Bane in the next Batman Movie.

The United States and China on Wednesday agreed on $45 billion in U.S. export deals and to give U.S. companies greater access to China's $88 billion-plus government contracts market at the start of Chinese President Hu Jintao's four-day state visit.

Seagate Technology Plc reported sharply lower profit on Wednesday as sales of its computer hard drives and storage devices fell and it recorded restructuring costs as it gears up for a massive share buyback after the failure of a private equity takeover deal.

Gold rose for a third straight day on Wednesday on a weaker dollar and strong Asian physical demand, while platinum and palladium hit multi-year highs on an improving global economic outlook.

The euro rose to an eight-week high on Wednesday on increasing optimism that Europe can defuse its debt crisis, but equities fell on poor U.S. housing data and bank earnings, while a rally in commodities faded.

Goldman Sachs' commodities trading risk has hit a near seven-year low, quarterly results on Wednesday showed, suggesting the Wall Street giant had become less aggressive lately in taking advantage of surging oil, metals and grains prices.

A committee of Hewlett Packard directors will investigate former CEO Mark Hurd's departure from the company amid sexual harassment allegations last year, according to a recent court filing.

The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to repeal last year's health care overhaul.

Online marketplace eBay Inc provided investors with a bullish 2011 profit outlook after the holiday quarter showed signs it is delivering a promised turnaround, as improvements in its buyer experience helped boost sales at its marketplaces unit.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday highlighted ways in which China is changing its policies that are likely to boost sales to the third largest U.S. trading partner.

Nokia has pulled out of a plan to launch a smartphone with No. 2 U.S. mobile provider AT&T Inc, just before the device was supposed to be announced, a person familiar with the matter said.

A pension fund wants shareholders to vote for a written succession plan for Apple.

U.S. suppliers of planes and aircraft parts are likely to post solid quarterly results on better air traffic as defense contractors are challenged by a tough budgetary environment.

Five deals that General Electric Co signed with Chinese partners this week will generate more than $2 billion of revenue over the next decade for the U.S. conglomerate, including about $1 billion of exports from the United States, GE said on Wednesday.

American Express Co reported quarterly earnings that narrowly missed Wall Street estimates and said it would cut 550 jobs as it handles more customer services on the Internet.

Online marketplace eBay Inc exceeded Wall Street profit estimates for its holiday fourth quarter, helped by more items sold and at higher prices, and gave a bullish 2011 outlook.

Hedge fund assets grew a record $149 billion during the last three months of 2010, according to new data released on Wednesday.

More technology and engineering workers got bonuses and pay raises last year than in 2009, but the pay hikes were tiny for professionals outside large corporations and Silicon Valley, according to a survey by Dice.com, part of online recruiter Dice Holdings Inc .

Wells Fargo & Co and U.S. Bancorp said low interest rates were squeezing lending profits, but improving credit quality helped both banks post higher fourth-quarter earnings.

A top Nintendo Co Ltd executive said reaction to a health warning on its new 3D handheld game player was overblown, portraying as routine the warning that hit its shares two weeks ago.

Swiss police arrested ex-banker Rudolf Elmer on Wednesday for giving data to Wikileaks, hours after he was found guilty of breaching strict Swiss bank secrecy laws in another case.