IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slight increase in equities on Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial average index pierced the 10,000 level in the previous session.

The chief executive of General Motors Co reiterated on Thursday that the U.S. automaker would join a rights offering by its struggling South Korean unit, but gave no hint whether GM would put in as much as the unit's biggest creditor wants.

Obesity may lead to numerous health problems, but it may actually be linked to fewer successful suicides, according to a new study.

Roche beat forecasts with a 10 percent rise in third-quarter sales, helped by demand for Tamiflu due to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, and the Swiss group now sees higher drug revenues for the full year.

Open access policies have helped other leading industrialized nations develop more competitive broadband markets by lowering entry barriers, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Buoyant corporate earnings lifted investors sentiment again on Thursday, sending world stocks to near 13-month highs.

Making sure fish ends up on your dinner plate a couple of times a week may be a good way to cut your risk for developing heart disease, but it may not do the same for diabetes, new study findings hint.

American International Group Inc's jet-leasing unit International Lease Finance Corp is going to pay back $2 billion in short-term debt which is due Thursday, the Wall Street Journal said, citing company officials.

Asian shares rose to 14-month highs on Thursday after upbeat U.S. retail sales and earnings reports prompted a shift to riskier assets, pushing the U.S. dollar to a 14-month low and prompting Asian governments to step in to curb currency strength.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, has agreed to sell breweries in nine eastern European countries to CVC Capital Partners for an initial $2.23 billion, passing its target for divestments since its merger a year ago.

Roche's third-quarter sales rose 10 percent to 12.4 billion Swiss francs ($12.2 billion), helped by its cancer drugs and increased demand for flu medicine Tamiflu due to the H1N1 pandemic.

Social networking upstart Twitter has made the jump to academia's hallowed halls, with 'tweets' made compulsory writing for would-be journalists at an Australian university.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is launching a new version of its touchscreen Storm smartphone, marking its latest move in the fight with Apple's iPhone.

Roche's third-quarter sales rose 14 percent to 12.4 billion Swiss francs ($12.2 billion), helped by its cancer drugs and beating expectations, and it upped its forecast for flu medicine Tamiflu.

U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings fell for a second straight month in September, but remained near a record high, amid ongoing and sweeping efforts to keep borrowers in their homes, a report released on Thursday showed.

Asian shares rose to 14-month highs on Thursday as upbeat retail sales and surprisingly bullish earnings reports in the United States buoyed risk appetite, pushing the U.S. dollar to a 14-month low.

General Motors Co's CEO Fritz Henderson reiterated on Thursday the company would take part in any rights offer by its struggling South Korean unit.

Countries need to forge new trade rules governing the movement of electronic data across borders as the world becomes increasingly connected, a Microsoft official said on Wednesday.

A lawyer for former Bear Stearns hedge fund manager Ralph Cioffi on Wednesday vigorously defended him against prosecution allegations he repeatedly lied to investors early in the financial crisis, describing as ridiculous one charge of insider trading.

U.S. securities regulators will consider next Wednesday proposals to shed more light on dark pools, or venues where stock trades are hidden from public view, a notice on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website said.

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Calpers, the biggest U.S. public pension fund, said on Wednesday it is probing fees paid by outside money managers to win its business, expanding a review of pay-to-play schemes at public retirement systems that has spread across the nation.

Apple Inc's Mac computers have steadily gained market share over the years, a winning streak that may be tested by next week's launch of Microsoft Corp's new Windows 7 operating system.

U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers last month discussed whether they should increase asset buying if the economic outlook worsened, and some argued that more aggressive purchases would aid the recovery.

Intraday support at 0.9030 held firm in local exchange yesterday with strong Chinese Trade data giving the Aussie another boost towards 91 cents. Offshore investors took the AUD/USD to a high around 0.9150 with optimism on the global recovery, following higher than forecast U.S Retail Sales data, continuing to drive sentiment on commodities and commodity based currencies like the AUD. Underlying support for the currency is expected to continue whilst the Greenback remains weak with today's trade...

The September numbers from market watcher comScore show Facebook Inc.'s users in the U.S. grew by 4 percent to 95.5 million while Twitter Inc.'s numbers flattened out at about 20.8 million.

A picture book about a giraffe on safari in South Africa is set to go digital next month, betting that the next generation will embrace electronic media from the word go.

Toronto Raptors' forward Chris Bosh won control of nearly 800 Internet domain names wrongfully appropriated from professional athletes and celebrities, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Lazard Ltd Chief Executive Bruce Wasserstein, a legendary dealmaker for more than 30 years, has died, ending an era at one of Wall Street's best-known investment banks.