CALIFORNIA

New applications for jobless aid fell unexpectedly last week, dropping by 13,000, but a more reliable moving average of these claims rose to the highest level in six months, government data on Thursday showed.

Network giant Cisco Systems posted a 37% increase in profit in the first quarter, posting slightly above analyst expectations on strong sales growth.

IndyMac Bancorp, one of the largest independent mortgage lenders, reported a third-quarter loss of $202.7 million due to bad loans, five times bigger than company forecasts in December.

Yahoo Inc's chief executive was verbally lashed by U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday over the Internet company's role in helping identify a Chinese dissident who was later imprisoned by the government.

IndyMac Bancorp Inc, one of the largest independent U.S. mortgage lenders, on Tuesday posted a quarterly loss more than five times larger than it had projected, hurt by mounting delinquencies and a collapse in investor demand to buy its home loans. It was IndyMac's first quarterly loss since the fourth quarter of 1998.

Google Inc on Monday spelled out long-rumored plans to enter the mobile phone market in 2008 by building software that could help the industry make the Internet run more easily on phones.

California faces a double-digit fall in housing prices over the next year and a half, a major builder, a lender and the state treasurer said on Monday in a discussion of how long the subprime mortgage crisis would drag on the Golden State.

Shares in Citigroup Inc rose 5 percent in their debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Monday, a day after the U.S. bank's head resigned to take responsibility for spiraling losses on subprime-related investments.

A souped-up Chevy Tahoe sports utility vehicle with a mind of its own was declared the winner of a robot car race on Sunday after it traveled without help from humans for six hours and 60 miles

With Americans weary of the Iraq war and U.S. elections on the horizon, Congress is struggling over how to get tough on Iran without giving President George W. Bush a blank check for a military strike.

Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co on Thursday reported double-digit drops in October sales, lagging rivals in a slumping U.S. market widely expected to remain under pressure into next year. Chrysler, which also announced plans to slash one-fifth of its factory work force and cut four slow-selling models, posted a 12 percent drop in monthly sales that was deeper than analysts had forecast.

A boy playing with matches has confessed to starting a wildfire that destroyed 63 structures near Los Angeles, officials said on Tuesday.

Scenes of anguish and hope play out as blazes which destroyed 2,000 homes begin to die down.

Countrywide Financial Corp posted a $1.2 billion third-quarter loss on Friday as the housing market slumped, but its shares soared after the largest U.S. mortgage lender projected a return to profit this quarter as it slashes jobs and regains its footing. Shares of Countrywide rose $2.87, or 22 percent, to $15.94 in pre-market trading. Stock futures also moved higher.

Four burned bodies found in the path of California's fierce wildfires raised the death toll to at least 12 people, even as firefighters won the upper hand and officials turned on Friday toward assessing the damage.

President George W. Bush, visited San Diego and had an aerial view and tour of the damages caused by wild fires that have wrecked havoc across southern California, forcing more than 500,000 to flee their homes.

California's largest bank, Bank of America (BofA) said that it will contribute to relief efforts in the Southern California fires by donating $1 million through its Charitable Foundation.Bank of America said that this donation is the first in a series of steps it will take to help fire victims and responders; and is now working with city leaders in San Diego and Los Angeles to determine the amount of assistance and resources needed in this endeavor."Southern California families, business and entire communities are in urgent need of immediate aid and we wanted to begin to begin to address that need as quickly as possible," said Janet Lamkin, President of Bank of America California.Chevron, based in San Ramon has also today announced a $500,000 to support fire relief efforts. It said that $400,000 will be given to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and $100,000 will be directed towards local charities and relief efforts in the communities where Chevron operates.Chevron is also providing bottles of water and meals to evicted families.

California wildfires that have destroyed 1,300 homes and forced the evacuation of 500,000 people raged into a fifth day on Thursday but firefighters seized on a break in the weather to largely halt the march of destruction.

Dying winds gave California firefighters their first big break on Wednesday after four days battling wildfires, but San Diego faced more calamity as blazes there burned out of control and kept more than half a million evacuees from returning home.

Relentless wildfires forcing the largest evacuations in California's modern history raged into a fourth day on Wednesday as 10,000 exhausted firefighters hoped for a break in the hot winds whipping the flames.

Towering wildfires burned out of control across Southern California for a third day on Tuesday as 500,000 people fled the San Diego area, and firefighters made a desperate stand to save a mountain town ringed by flames.