IBT Staff Reporter

Three top Federal Reserve officials said on Thursday it may soon be time to begin raising interest rates as the economic recovery in the United States gathers momentum, despite persistently high unemployment.

Stock index futures fell on Friday, tracking European equities and the euro lower, as investors looked ahead to the May non-farm payrolls report that could signal the pace of an economic recovery.

Leading policymakers were unusually candid on Friday in voicing fears that the euro zone's financial and banking woes could derail the global economic recovery.

Investors will scour a preliminary prospectus for Agricultural Bank of China's around $30 billion IPO, the world's largest, for updates on its book value and bad loans.

U.S. nonfarm payrolls likely rose at their fastest pace in nearly 27 years in May as the government ramped up hiring for the census and businesses grew more optimistic about the economy, a Reuters survey showed.

The percentage of U.S. home sellers who cut their asking price rose in May, but price reductions were smaller, real estate website Zillow.com said in a report.

Boston-area real estate demand has seen a resurgence as buyers show increased confidence about the economy and job security, real estate professionals and economists say.

Leading policymakers expressed concern on Friday about the health of the world economy even as they closed ranks behind the euro zone's efforts to tackle a debt crisis that has rattled global markets.

Top executives of the world's biggest airlines will gather in Berlin this weekend, seeking elusive answers to the future of the industry as they move past the financial crisis and the damage from Iceland's ash cloud. The International Air Transport Association holds its annual meeting in the German capital from June 6-8, followed by the ILA Berlin Air Show from June 8-13.

Stocks edged up on Friday, with investors anticipating a strong reading for a key employment report due out later in the day, which could provide an indication of the pace of recovery in the world's largest economy.

World stocks hovered just off two-week highs on Friday and the dollar clung to recent gains ahead of U.S. jobs data that is widely expected to show recovery is gathering pace in the world's largest economy.

Oil's steep drop of more than $20 a barrel over three weeks last month, sparked by European debt woes, underscored market volatility from stocks to commodities and the fragile state of global economic recovery.

U.S. consumers are venting frustration over the BP oil spill, demonstrating at gas stations and corporate offices, drumming up support on Facebook and waging a mock public relations campaign on Twitter.

Investors will scour a preliminary prospectus for Agricultural Bank of China's around $30 billion IPO, the world's largest, for updates on its book value and bad loans.

After realized that the devastated Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the worst ever environmental disaster affecting the country, the US said they would keep billing the oil giant BP for all associated costs for the clean up operations. British energy giant told to pay $69 million bill and demanded prompt payment for the first instalment of government expenses incurred in the effort.

World's largest gold refiner, South Africa's Rand Refinery said production of country's Krugerrand gold coins soared by 50 percent in a week as the euro zone debt crisis drove up investor demand. In a statement issued here, Rand Refinery said production of the world's most popular gold coin rose to 30 000 ounces a week.

Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's largest telecoms operator, is in talks to sell Apple's iPad and future versions of the iPhone on the island, its chairman said on Friday as it turns to data services to fuel growth.

The dollar steadied on Friday and Asian stocks slipped on profit taking ahead of a report expected to show the highest U.S. jobs growth since 1983, supporting this week's wary move back into riskier assets.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it had concerns about the case of a Kuwaiti blogger on trial for allegedly insulting Kuwait's head of state and had raised the matter with the Kuwaiti government.

Global oil prices eased in Asian trade Friday despite reports of bigger-than-expected decline in US gasoline inventories and stronger demand. Light sweet crude for July delivery was seen trading at $74.32 a barrel at 11.00 a.m Singapore time while Brent crude was at $75.25 a barrel in London.

Every investor is these days tracking the movement of the hottest commodity--gold. But renowned global commodities investor Jim Rogers says the hottest commodity around now is sugar. Saying that agricultural commodities are set for a big bull run, Rogers said that turmoil in currencies is turning people to commodities.

The U.S. dollar and Asian stocks held on to recent gains on Friday ahead of a report expected to show the highest U.S. jobs growth since 1983, supporting a cautious shift back into riskier assets this week.

G20 finance ministers and central bankers will endorse efforts to douse the euro zone's debt crisis but are far apart on the contentious issue of a global bank levy, a senior South Korean official said on Friday.

The European bailout of Greece may have prevented catastrophic results but Europe needs to take further action to resolve the region's debt crisis, Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Thursday.

Business in Las Vegas is picking up, particularly on weekends, as the economy recovers, Las Vegas Sands Corp Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson said on Thursday in an interview on the CNBC network.

Washington Mutual Inc's effort to exit bankruptcy encountered a setback on Thursday when the judge in the case ordered the company to talk further with shareholders about their requests for documents.

The AUD is slightly weaker this morning after weakness in the EUR reduced risk appetite with some negative news out of the region.

Prudential's management team is under no pressure to step down over the British insurer's failed $35.5 billion bid to buy AIG's Asian life unit, Chairman Harvey McGrath said in an interview published on Friday.

The U.S. Defense Department must be able to operate freely in cyberspace amid dangers of remote sabotage, an Army general tapped to streamline offensive and defensive computer operations said on Thursday.