IBT Staff Reporter

Bloated inventories and the risk of a price slide will trouble OPEC ministers when they meet in Vienna next week, but oil at close to $70 a barrel is expected to convince the group to hold output steady for now.

The G20 will promise this weekend to keep economic support packages in place until recovery is certain and seek to reassure financial markets they have credible plans to withdraw the stimulus when appropriate.

Gold steadied near $990 an ounce on Friday, consolidating a potent two-day rally that took the market to within a whisker of $1,000, with inflation concerns and jitters over stock market gains stoking investor interest.

Banco Santander SA, the Brazilian unit of Spain's Santander , filed on Thursday for an initial public offering in Brazil and the United States, in what could become one of the largest IPOs of the year.

The G20 will promise this weekend to keep economic support packages in place until recovery is certain and seek to reassure financial markets they have credible plans to withdraw the stimulus when appropriate.

NATO forces in Afghanistan were investigating on Friday whether civilians were among scores of people burned to death when they carried out an air strike against two hijacked fuel tankers.

Japan's Toshiba Corp plans to bid for French nuclear group Areva's power transmission and distribution unit, four sources with direct knowledge of the situation said, in a deal that could top $5 billion.

Key trade ministers agreed on Friday to relaunch the World Trade Organization's Doha talks with intensified negotiations later this month, India's Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma, said on Friday.

The United States said on Thursday it would cut more than $30 million in aid to Honduras in an effort to pressure the de facto government to step down and allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to power.

G20 policymakers will this weekend promise to keep economic support packages in place until recovery is certain and seek to reassure financial markets they have credible plans to withdraw the stimulus when appropriate.

Stock index futures rose on Friday ahead of a report expected to show the smallest number of job losses so far this year in August as the economy struggles out of recession.

Gold steadied below $990 an ounce on Friday, consolidating a potent two-day rally that took the market to within a whisker of $1,000, with inflation concerns and jitters over stock market gains stoking investor interest.

World equities climbed higher on Friday, although investors were cautious about U.S. jobs data due later in the day, while the dollar slipped against a basket of major currencies.

An eight-year legal battle between fast food giant McDonald's and a Malaysian restaurant called McCurry over copyright infringement is set to continue on Monday in the country's highest court.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Friday, ahead of eagerly-awaited monthly U.S. jobs data and unemployment rate.

Google, fighting to gain ground on China's Baidu's dominant search lead in the country, confirmed the departure of its China president on Friday and said its regional sales head would take over Lee Kai-Fu's business and operational responsibilities.

Asian stock markets mostly edged higher on Friday, underpinned by encouraging U.S. retail sales but cautious ahead of a U.S. payrolls report, while the Aussie dollar was supported by a spike in gold prices.

Gold hovered a hair below $1,000 an ounce on Friday, consolidating the biggest two-day gain since March after a mix of inflation anxiety, a retreat from risk assets and a technical break stoked renewed investor interest.

Japan's Toshiba Corp plans to bid for French nuclear group Areva's power distribution and transmission equipment unit, four sources with direct knowledge of the situation said, in a deal that could cost it more than $5 billion.

AMR Corp's American Airlines faces an increasing dispute with Federal Aviation Administration regulators over allegedly improper repairs to at least 16 aircraft, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Japan's Toshiba Corp plans to bid for French nuclear group Areva's power distribution and transmission equipment unit in a deal that could cost it more than 500 billion yen ($5.4 billion), industry sources said.

The Obama I pledge video featuring with a bunch of Hollywood celebrities angered parents at Eagle Bay Elementary School in Farmington.

- European markets have opened Friday's session on strong note while the markets attention remains on U.S. non-farm payrolls report. Euro and Pound remain sideways somewhat below Thursday's highs.

Oil hovered above $68 a barrel on Friday, eyeing a U.S. jobs report due later for some clarity on the economy of the world's top energy user as it struggles to emerge from recession.

Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher on Thursday gave a muted outlook for the U.S. economy, saying a long period of slow growth lies ahead even when the recession ends.

Gold hovered just below $1,000 on Friday, taking a break after its strongest two-day performance since March as safe-haven demand stoked renewed investor buying.

A U.S. appeals court judge called an unauthorized spin-off of J.D. Salinger's classic novel

California Controller John Chiang's office said on Thursday it had issued the last of its IOUs, which were intended to allow the state government to preserve its dwindling cash during its recent budget crisis.

The U.S. Court of Appeals has granted Microsoft Corp's request to stay an injunction imposed by a federal court that would have halted sales of some versions of its popular Word application.