IBT Staff Reporter

To get financial reform legislation through the U.S. Senate Democrats need to peel away just one Republican to support their sweeping bill.

(Corrects to show Senator Gregg is retiring.)

China remains on course to gradually put in place a managed floating exchange rate system, President Hu Jintao said in a speech released on Friday amid pressure on Beijing to let its yuan currency strengthen.

Unemployment rates continued to fall in March in many U.S. states, the Labor Department said on Friday, sparking cautious optimism that an economic recovery is dawning.

More U.S. graduates are likely to work with aid groups and charities after an overhaul of the country's student loan program lessens their debt repayment burden, former U.S. President Bill Clinton said.

Countries negotiating a deal to curb trade in fake and pirated goods are close to reaching an agreement in talks that have raised concerns among digital rights advocates, U.S. trade officials said on Friday.

U.S. airlines, which are set to report quarterly losses starting next week, also are poised for a stronger 2010, helped by an economic rebound that bolsters traffic, fares and the chances for an industrywide merger frenzy.

U.S. airlines, which are set to report quarterly losses starting next week, also are poised for a stronger 2010, helped by an economic rebound that bolsters traffic, fares and the chances for an industrywide merger frenzy.

The U.S. economy is in the throes of a cyclical recovery and there are encouraging signs of improvement in financial markets, a senior Federal Reserve official said on Friday.

Wall Street slid on Friday, led by bank shares, after Goldman Sachs was charged with fraud by U.S. regulators and after big company earnings fell short of heightened expectations.

According to a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) study, which listed floods among the nation's deadliest of natural disasters, there have been at least 73 flood-related deaths from 1997 to 2008.

Victorian health authorities have been contacted by more than 1,300 people concerned they may have been infected with hepatitis C by the suspended anaesthetist, Dr James Latham.

U.S. stocks extended losses on Friday, with the S&P 500 briefly down more than 2 percent after Goldman Sachs was charged with fraud by the U.S.

According to a new report: Cardiovascular disease mortality - trends at different ages, released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the number of Australians who die each year from cardiovascular disease has been steadily falling since 1960s, with older age groups experiencing the greatest decline in deaths.

General Electric Co posted a profit that beat Wall Street's view, but its shares fell 4 percent after weak revenue and declining orders made investors worry about the strength of its turnaround.

Two women from the suburbs of North Ward and Deeragun have been diagnosed with type two of the dengue virus - the first locally-acquired cases in the city since December, confirmed Queensland Health.

If you have had piercing or a tattoo, have shared needles with another person, or had a blood transfusion prior to 1990 you may be part of the one per cent of the Australian population who has been exposed to hepatitis C.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp needs timely access to information on the large banks whose deposits it insures, a watchdog said on Friday.

What's better: Working for a small company or a large corporation?

Wall Street tumbled on Friday after a slew of big company earnings failed to meet heightened expectations, while bank shares slid, led by Goldman Sachs after it was charged with fraud by the U.S. securities market regulator.

Software maker Oracle Corp is set to buy drug data management software company Phase Forward for about $685 million, aiming to bolster its health sciences business.

U.S. consumer sentiment took a surprise negative turn in early April due to a persistently grim outlook on income and jobs, a private survey released on Friday showed.

RadioShack Corp Chief Executive Officer Julian Day received total compensation of nearly $8.1 million last year, up 47.6 percent from 2008 due to sharp increases in his incentive bonus and stock option awards, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

Finance ministers agreed in principle on Friday to create a permanent mechanism to handle economic crises in the euro zone, as preparations continued on an unprecedented aid package for debt-stricken Greece.

U.S. stocks extended losses on Friday as shares of Goldman Sachs fell after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it charged the bank with fraud over subprime-related financial products.

U.S. housing starts rose more than expected in March to their highest level since November 2008 and permits to build new homes scaled a 17-month peak, offering hope the housing market recovery remained on course.

The space-age Aptera might look like something straight out of a futuristic cartoon, but executives at the California start-up behind the electric vehicle say its time is now.

Europe's top carmaker, Volkswagen AG, expects 2010 to be a tough year despite signs of market improvement and said it remained optimistic it would develop better than the market.

France's Renault is bailing out of a loss-making joint venture with India's Mahindra & Mahindra after disappointing Logan sales, and is expected to focus on other projects in the potentially high-growth market.