IBT Staff Reporter

Japanese brewer Suntory Holdings, seeking overseas growth as Japan's population ages, is in talks to buy soft-drinks maker Orangina for at least the $2.6 billion that private equity firms including Blackstone paid for the company just three years ago.

The Bank of England left interest rates at a record low of 0.5 percent for the sixth month running on Thursday and said it would keep its 175 billion pound asset buying programme in place.

Wall Street was set for a flat to higher open on Thursday after Texas Instruments raised its earnings forecast and data showed the number of people filing claims for jobless benefits fell last week.

For Omar Sharif, the future and the past are useless. The only thing that counts for the Egyptian actor is the present.

European technology shares rose sharply on Thursday after positive outlook comments from chip maker Texas Instruments and chip equipment firm ASML .

The board of General Motors has decided to sell its European arm Opel to Canadian auto parts group Magna , but has attached strings to the sale, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings in August hovered near July's record high despite broad efforts to keep borrowers in their homes and will probably rise for another year, according to a report released on Thursday.

Former Morgan Stanley managing director Du Jun was found guilty of insider trading by a Hong Kong court on Thursday, in the city's highest-profile insider trading case.

Stock futures edged up on Thursday after data showed the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week.

Global oil demand will be almost 0.5 million barrels per day higher than previously forecast this year and next on stronger-than-expected U.S. and Chinese fuel consumption, the International Energy Agency said.

Oil rose toward $72 a barrel on Thursday, supported by OPEC's decision to hold output steady and forecasts by the International Energy Agency that global demand will be higher this year and next than it previously forecast.

Stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Thursday, a day after the S&P 500 benchmark index racked up its highest closing level for the year, while investors awaited data on the labor market.

Britain, South Korea and New Zealand left interest rates at record lows on Thursday, with Canada expected to follow suit, but in Asia at least there were signs that thoughts are turning to tighter policy.

Chinese carmakers are venturing on to the global stage with bids for Western brands from Volvo and Hummer to Saab, but there are doubts these inexperienced firms can manage the transformation such deals would bring.

Global oil demand will be almost 0.5 million barrels per day higher than previously forecast this year and next on stronger-than-expected fuel use in North America and Asia, the International Energy Agency said.

Stock futures were weaker on Thursday, easing after the S&P 500 benchmark index racked up its highest closing level for the year, while investors awaited data on the labor market.

General Motors is prepared to sell its European carmaker Opel to Canada's Magna, two people familiar with the negotiations told Reuters on Thursday.

A wave of Beatlemania struck Britain's streets as a specially remastered edition of the Fab Four's albums was released on Wednesday, complete with an interactive video game for a new generation of fans.

General Motors was set to end months of suspense over the fate of its Opel unit on Thursday and announce whether it plans to sell the European carmaker to one of two rival bidders.

OPEC early on Thursday agreed to hold output targets steady after top exporter Saudi Arabia looked to economic strength to bolster the oil price and dismissed bulging inventories.

Another Lehman?; Opel Decision Day Arrives; Books Competition

The collapse of Lehman Brothers a year ago has been likened to the 1994 crash that killed Formula One star Ayrton Senna, in the way it has spurred calls for root-and-branch review of risk in the financial sector.

General Motors was set to end months of suspense over the fate of its Opel unit on Thursday and announce whether it plans to sell the European carmaker to one of two rival bidders.

General Motors was set to end months of suspense over the fate of its Opel unit on Thursday and announce whether it plans to sell the European carmaker to one of two rival bidders.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.27 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.24 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.21 percent at 4:46 a.m. EDT.

Asian stocks rose on Thursday as investors continued to switch into riskier assets amid growing confidence the global economy is recovering, keeping the dollar on the defensive.

A Connecticut court ordered UBS to pledge assets or post a $35 million bond after finding probable cause that the bank committed securities fraud in a deal with Pursuit Partners, the hedge fund's lawyers said on Wednesday.

Google's deal to digitize millions of books opens the way for others to enter the online book business, the company's chief legal officer said in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing on Thursday.

The Opel trustees are set to make a decision on Thursday about the future of General Motors' European business should GM decide to sell it to an investor, a source close to the matter told Reuters.