IBT Staff Reporter

Australia's parliament votes next week on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's plan for a sweeping carbon trade scheme with hopes it will finally win approval after two years of divisive debate.

The prosecution said on Friday it would appeal a French court's decision to drop charges against a subsidiary of oil major Total over a 2001 chemical blast that killed 31 people.

Two Chinese rights activists who sought a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama hours before he left Beijing said on Friday they were briefly detained by police, and one said Washington's sway over rights in China had eroded.

The U.S. government is having a tough time guesstimating how many small businesses failed in this recession, casting doubt on the reliability of vital data on employment and economic growth.

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers intend to look for new jobs next year, according to a poll released on Thursday that could indicate workers' frustration and discontent.

Banks risk becoming addicted to cheap central bank cash used to fight the financial crisis and must prepare for its eventual withdrawal, the head of the ECB warned at a Frankfurt banking conference on Friday.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Friday after worse-than-expected quarterly results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton underscored that the road to recovery would not be smooth.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Friday after worse-than-expected quarterly results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton underscored that the road to recovery would not be smooth.

Big shareholders at Goldman Sachs have asked the U.S. bank, which is on track to pay out the biggest bonuses in the company's history, to pass more profit to investors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Big shareholders at Goldman Sachs have asked the U.S. bank, which is on track to pay out the biggest bonuses in the company's history, to pass more profit to investors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Budget shortfalls pose a direct threat to millions of U.S. jobs, many in the private sector, as state and local governments lay off workers and cut spending on contracts and other business services, a think tank said on Thursday.

Inflation not a problem, say Fed officials; Cut bonuses, shareholders tell Goldman; PC sales growth returns at Dell

D.R. Horton Inc , the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, reported a narrower fourth-quarter loss, mainly helped by lower charges.

Bankers and regulators should learn the lessons of the global financial crisis and drive through changes to prevent future breakdowns, financiers said on Friday.

The euro fell to a two-week low on Friday of $1.48, with dealers citing options-related selling and the dollar rallying broadly as investors cut risk positions across asset markets in favour of liquidity.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Friday, as a stronger U.S. dollar weighed on commodities and natural resource stocks and weak results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton underscored the rocky road to an economic recovery.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Friday, as a stronger U.S. dollar weighed on commodities and natural resource stocks and weak results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton underscored the rocky road to an economic recovery.

The dollar rose on Friday, extending the previous day's gains as investors retreated from riskier assets, taking the shine off higher-yielding currencies such as the Australian dollar.

Britain's top share index was lower at midday on Friday, with gains in defensive pharmaceutical stocks and food producers outweighed by weakness in banks and energy stocks.

As more details of Google Chrome OS came out on Thursday, people already took to Twitter and blogs to voice their complaints with the new OS and shared why they won't be using it when it launches at the end of 2010.

General Electric and Vivendi are at least $1 billion apart in their valuation of the French group's stake in NBC Universal, the Financial Times said, dampening hopes of a swift sale.

Dell , the world's No.3 PC brand, said on Friday that its core business of selling computers to companies was returning, after a sharp drop-off during the global downturn led to disappointing quarterly results.

European shares fell for a fourth consecutive session on Friday, with banks retreating from earlier gains and energy stocks falling after crude CLc1 prices slipped.

U.S. stock index futures were lower on Friday, a day after Dell Inc reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter sales, underlining concerns about the strength of technology sector.

*U.S. stock index futures were lower on Friday, a day after Dell Inc (DELL.O) reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter sales, underlining concerns about the strength of technology sector.

Uganda's shilling UGX= fell slightly versus the dollar on Friday due to some demand for greenbacks from the telecommunications and oil sectors, traders said.

* U.S. stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 SPc1 down 0.04 percent, Dow Jones DJc1 futures down 0.04 percent and Nasdaq 100 NDc1 futures up 0.07 percent at 1010 GMT.

Cadbury suitors Ferrero and Hershey would likely break the UK confectioner up into separate businesses if a mooted bid for the company succeeds, an Italian newspaper reported.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.04 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.04 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.07 percent at 1010 GMT (5:10 a.m. EST).