IBT Staff Reporter

Better-than-expected company results, improving French business confidence and a pick-up in UK retail sales offered some evidence on Thursday that stimulus spending was helping to ease the global economic downturn.

United Parcel Service Inc , the world's largest package delivery company, reported an in-line quarterly profit on Thursday and gave a weak outlook for the current quarter, but said its domestic and global businesses appeared to be stabilizing.

Porsche SE could still dig itself out of its debt hole without a merger of its sportscar business with mass-market rival Volkswagen, two people close to Porsche said on Thursday.

South Africa's government on Thursday threatened to crack down on violent protests which erupted this week over jobs and living conditions, posing an early challenge to President Jacob Zuma.

Italy has blocked the sale of two luxury yachts which police say were destined for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, in violation of international sanctions on his isolated communist state.

McDonald's Corp posted a lower quarterly profit and lower-than-expected sales on Thursday as the recession has pushed U.S. unemployment to the highest level in more than two decades.

The commander of the Taliban in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley is alive and has not been wounded, contrary to reports by the military, his spokesman said on Thursday.

Dutch bank ING Group has hired JPMorgan to advise on the sale of ING's private banking business in Europe and Asia, which could fetch more than $1 billion, sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Officials from MTN are meeting India's capital market watchdog and stock exchanges to understand regulatory issues on a proposed deal between the South African firm and Bharti Airtel, the Economic Times reported on Thursday.

I have been reading a lot of travel blogs over the past few months, ever since I came back from Hawaii and read the book '4 hour work week.

The wife of Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi says her 62-year-old brother was among those detained after last month's disputed election in what she called a futile attempt to pressure her husband and herself.

General Motors' GM.UL European business said on Thursday it had agreed to continue detailed talks with both Magna and RHJ International on its German unit Opel.

Signs of stabilisation if not recovery will be the focus when ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, reports second-quarter results next week.

North Korea has no friends left to shield it from the international community's demands that the country scrap its nuclear activities, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday.

The United States and North Korea became entangled in a brief diplomatic imbroglio on Thursday when they found themselves competing for the same stage for a news conference.

We're well into the dog days of summer, and soaring temperatures and long hours of daylight also means we're right in the middle of peak travel season in France.

North Korea, bristling at being described by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as behaving like an unruly child, responded in kind on Thursday, calling her vulgar and less then clever.

The U.S. unit of the world's largest meat processor, JBS SA, filed for an initial public offering of up to $2 billion on Wednesday, making it the largest planned offering in the U.S. IPO pipeline.

China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC) on Thursday set a price for its Shanghai IPO at the top of an indicated range, raising 50.16 billion yuan ($7.34 billion) in the world's largest public offering in more than a year.

President Barack Obama pressed his case for an overhaul of the U.S. healthcare on Wednesday in a nationally televised news conference. He also addressed concerns about the economy. Here are some quotes from the news conference:

President Barack Obama used economic arguments on Wednesday to pitch healthcare reform to middle-class Americans but offered few new ideas to galvanize action from either skittish Democrats or a divided Congress.

The confusion surrounding adult vaccination help illustrates some of the big problems looming for Congress as it struggles with healthcare reform legislation, doctors and health officials said on Wednesday.

Diversified U.S. manufacturer 3M Co handily beat Wall Street's profit expectations and raised its revenue forecast, boosted by surprisingly strong demand for consumer electronics and for its respiratory masks, which were snapped up by people afraid of the swine flu virus.

President Barack Obama's drive to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system faces uncertain prospects as lawmakers struggle to find agreement on cutting costs and funding the $1 trillion program. The outcome is at a critical juncture in the U.S. Congress. Here are some possible scenarios involving shortfalls in reaching his goals as planned:

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday a broad healthcare overhaul was critical to a U.S. economic recovery and urged Congress to take advantage of momentum behind the reform package, despite doubts about the plan even among fellow Democrats.

A growing shortage of primary care doctors could place a major burden on the U.S. healthcare system if President Barack Obama succeeds in extending medical insurance to millions of Americans who currently lack it.

Award-winning travel journalist Bruce Northam has wandered freestyle in over 100 countries on seven continents, with experiences ranging from drifting with Burma's sea gypsies, playing naked Frisbee with New Guinea natives, and beholding the beguiling shores of Antarctica.

AT&T Inc on Thursday posted a smaller quarterly profit but revenue exceeded estimates as strong sales of Apple Inc's iPhone helped boost wireless subscriber growth, sending its shares up 4 percent in early trade.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc has expanded its laptop selection by 40 percent and will be aggressive in pricing the computers and the accessories to go with them as the discount retailer looks to win sales from frugal back-to-school shoppers.