IBT Staff Reporter

Oil prices settled more than 4 percent lower at below $66 a barrel on Thursday as weak U.S. home sales data and high crude oil inventories in the top energy consumer stirred doubts about a potential fuel demand recovery.

Stocks fell on Thursday as signs of weakness in housing and investors' worries that authorities might be curbing stimulus efforts too soon sparked caution.

Sales of previously owned homes in the United States unexpectedly fell for the first time in four months in August, indicating a less vigorous pace of economic recovery from a deep recession.

Oil prices dropped over 4 percent on Thursday to $66 a barrel as weak U.S. home sales data and high U.S. crude inventories stirred doubts about a potential fuel demand recovery.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, but a surprise drop in sales of existing homes in August hinted at a less vigorous pace of recovery from a severe recession.

Oil prices dropped over 4 percent to below $66 a barrel on Thursday as weak U.S. home sales data and high crude oil inventories in the top energy consumer stirred doubts about a potential fuel demand recovery.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as a surprise drop in August sales of existing homes signaled more weakness in housing and investors worried that authorities might be curbing stimulus efforts too soon.

U.S. stocks slid on Thursday, as world central banks said they would scale back infusions of U.S. dollars into their banking systems and after weak U.S. housing data.

Research In Motion Ltd. Reported a drop of 4 percent in its second quarter earnings as a legal settlement charge offset strong sales of the company's popular line of BlackBerry devices.

The U.S. car market should see a modest recovery in 2010, with sales possibly reaching between 11.5 million and 12 million vehicles, General Motors Co Chief Executive Fritz Henderson said on Thursday.

Research In Motion Ltd. Reported a drop of 4 percent in its second quarter earnings as a legal settlement charge offset strong sales of the company's popular line of BlackBerry devices.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brandished at the U.N. on Thursday Nazi-era documents on the extermination of Jews, dramatically rebutting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust.

Younger white women with vitamin D deficiencies are about three times more likely to have high blood pressure in middle age than those with normal vitamin levels, according to a study released on Thursday.

The secret to fixing healthcare in the United States is to focus on value, a measure that takes into account both quality and cost, says Dr. Denis Cortese, president of the Mayo Clinic.

Worries about the economy have led many American women to think twice about having a baby, a survey released on Wednesday found, with nearly half of those surveyed saying they want to delay pregnancy or limit the number of children they have.

Makenzie Philips was interviewed in the Today Show this morning where she spoke about her incestuous relationship with her father.

Twitter is close to securing as much as $100 million of new funding from up to seven investors in a deal that values the fast-growing microblogging site at about $1 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Google Inc's email service, Gmail, suffered its second technical problem in a month on Thursday as users reported difficulty accessing their contacts.

Perfume makers, sniffers and vendors are upset over the International Fragrance Association's (IFRA) latest rules governing what can go into a scent's formula.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as a surprise drop in August sales of existing homes signaled more weakness in housing and investors worried that authorities might be curbing stimulus efforts too soon.

Drug makers can only produce enough H1N1 vaccine each year for half the planet because they lack factory capacity, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

Dear Sam: I feel like my résumé is being ignored. Most of the time, I submit my résumé online and I rarely get a response. When I do hear back, I get an email saying the position has been filled...

Sony Pictures is orchestrating an unprecedented preview ad campaign for 2012, the latest disaster film from Roland Emmerich.

He-Man may have found a new home.

The Senate Finance Committee battled over insurance plans for seniors on Wednesday and rejected a Republican effort to delay a final vote on a broad healthcare overhaul as it slowly waded through a crush of amendments.

Apple may soon see a to their revenue thanks to revisions of reporting rules made Wednesday finalized by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

The hotel operator formerly called Hilton Hotels Corp said on Wednesday that it has changed its name to Hilton Worldwide and unveiled a new logo.

Few screenwriters exemplified the renaissance in Hollywood filmmaking that took place in the 1970s more than Robert Towne.

Film director Richard Attenborough is auctioning part of his collection of British paintings, including one he sold to help finance Oscar-winning movie Gandhi and which he bought back years later.