IBT Staff Reporter

Pakistan said on Thursday that evidence given by India failed to build a case for the arrest of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of a Pakistan-based group blamed for the Mumbai attacks, a stance certain to stoke anger in India.

After his talks with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Bill Clinton sure has a story to tell.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped more sharply-than-expected last week, a government report showed on Thursday, boosting views that the labor market and the economy were stabilizing.

U.S. retailers reported disappointing sales declines for July, suggesting shoppers are still searching for bargains and basics in the downturn.

GW Pharmaceuticals Plc won a significant endorsement for its cannabis-based medicines on Thursday as U.S. investor Great Point Partners bought a multi-million pound stake in the company, sending GW shares sharply higher.

The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold at a record low on Thursday and said the euro zone economy would remain weak over the rest of the year, although the rate of contraction is slowing down.

Barclays Plc shareholders are expected to comfortably approve the British bank's sale of asset manager Barclays Global Investors to BlackRock when they vote on the $13.5 billion deal on Thursday.

Older Americans who have low strength and poor physical function are at increased risk of being hospitalized, researchers report.

Closing schools, stopping large gatherings and other such measures are unlikely to do much to prevent the spread of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, a team of experts predicted on Wednesday.

Korea East-West Power Co Ltd (EWP) and LG Corp are considering a joint venture in Australia this year, mainly to procure coal in the spot market for EWP, industry sources close to the deal said on Thursday.

Iran has banned Iranians from performing the umra pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan to slow spread of swine flu in the country, a health ministry official said Thursday.

Some U.S. retailers reported sales declines for July that were not as steep as expected, suggesting that more shoppers may be buying discretionary items.

The Bank of England took a far bigger step than expected to boost Britain's recession-hit economy on Thursday, stunning markets by expanding its quantitative easing plan to 175 billion pounds from 125 billion.

A new technique has given researchers a

A judge on Wednesday postponed the sentencing of R&B singer Chris Brown to make sure his punishment for assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna would include physical labor such as road cleanup.

British insurer Aviva Plc is likely to raise over 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in the planned flotation of its Dutch unit Delta Lloyd around October or November, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Police have charged a 53-year-old man with trying to stalk teenage star Miley Cyrus after he was arrested a month ago for attempting to reach the actress on a movie set, police in Georgia said on Wednesday.

British bank Barclays on Thursday said an overwhelming majority of its shareholders had approved the sale of investment management unit BGI to US fund manager Blackrock.

Stocks opened higher on Thursday as a sharp fall in the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits spurred optimism about the labor market and the pace of an economic recovery.

(Corrects Street view to 26 cents from 36 cents)

Healthier sperm may mean longer life, according to a study that followed more than 40,000 Danish men for up to 40 years.

Another thriller is developing in the complex afterlife of Michael Jackson.

The European Central Bank kept its main refinancing rate unchanged at a record low of 1.0 percent on Thursday, as expected by economists.

The first vaccines to combat H1N1 swine flu should be approved and ready for use in some countries from September, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

Despite polls showing growing public doubts about his healthcare overhaul, U.S. President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to get a reform bill through Congress this year even without Republicans on board.

Former corporate executive Don Yows took an entry-level job that set his career in information technology back by two decades.

Many white-collar professionals are fighting for jobs in the United States, with some taking pay cuts or hanging tough in faltering businesses they run themselves in the face of the recession.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week, a government report showed on Thursday, boosting views the labor market and the economy were stabilizing.

White House economic adviser Christina Romer said on Thursday that the $787-billion U.S. stimulus program was stabilizing the economy despite unacceptably high job losses.