RETAIL

The number of Americans applying for first-time jobless benefits rose in the latest week, reversing a recent decline and suggesting the labor market remains brittle.

Strong bond auctions in Europe set up Wall Street stocks for a slightly higher open on Thursday, though weaker-than-expected U.S. data could cap gains.

Retail sales rose at the weakest pace in seven months in December as consumers pulled back late in the holiday shopping season, cutting purchases at department stores and spending less on electronic gadgets.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday after well-received European sovereign debt auctions encouraged investors ahead of job market and retail sales data expected to show the economy is steadily recovering.

Nokia Lumia 710, the first phone powered by Microsoft's Windows Phone OS, has been released in the U.S. market via T-Mobile on Wednesday. Nokia is betting a lot on Lumia 710 as the Finnish mobile phone maker is desperate of regaining the market share it lost to major competitors such as Apple, Samsung, HTC and LG.

Stock index futures rose on Thursday after well-received European sovereign debt auctions encouraged investors ahead of job market and retail sales data expected to show the U.S. economy is steadily recovering.

Las Vegas -- There are many weird yet pricey offerings at the 2012 International CES, but none more so than in the robot section of the consumer electronics show.

First he banned smoking in public places, and then he went after trans-fat, salts and sugary drinks. Now Mayor Michael Bloomberg has set his sights on limiting the sale of alcohol in the city.

MetLife Inc. has purchased EnV, a 249-unit luxury rental tower in Chicago, the insurance company announced on Wednesday.

On Dubai's busiest thoroughfare, Sheikh Zayed Road, the white, orange and blue shop front of Sharjah Islamic Bank's gleaming new branch stands out among the soaring apartment blocks, furniture shops and car dealerships that mirror the Gulf state's growing wealth.

Barclays Capital reiterated its belief that China is a big growth opportunity for Apple Inc. and could be bigger than even the U.S., within a few years.

MetLife Inc. (MET), the largest U.S. life insurer, said Tuesday that it's shutting down the business of originating residential mortgages, three months after the company said it would seek a buyer for the unit. Goldman Sachs upgraded MetLife to "buy" as the company scales back to meet targets for shareholder returns.

Withings debuted the world's first Internet-connected baby and toddler scale at CES 2012 in Las Vegas. It records the weight and height of the child and wirelessly transmits the information to smartphones and computers to help parents keep track of their child's development.

Las Vegas -- One love reigned true in the life of Bob Marley and continues to impact our world through the eco-friendly House of Marley audio company.

Lululemon Athletica expects profit and sales in the current quarter to top earlier forecasts after holiday shoppers flocked to its shops to snap up the trendy yoga wear that have made the company a runaway retail success story.

UniCredit shares and rights to buy into the Italian bank's 7.5 billion euro ($9.6 billion) capital increase rallied after three days of falls on Tuesday, with traders saying volatility remains high as does a threat of further sharp falls.

India's central bank has allowed four more banks to import precious metals, a move that would boost competition and help reduce premiums in the world's biggest importer of bullion.

Just a month after Asus officially launched its Transformer Prime, the computer titan has now rolled out an upgraded version of the tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012 (CES) on Monday, according to reports.

Motorola recently launched their latest Android tablet - the Motorola Droid XYBoard 10.1 - on Verizon's network. The new Xyboard 10.1 has a much more attractive design compared to its predecessor and has second-gen features like a newer and faster CPU, stylus input and more.

MIZCO International will reveal its 2012 marketing program by launching over a hundred new mobile technology accessory products at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2012.

The United States Department of Labor released the December 2011 Employment Situation report on Friday, presenting a broad-based growth in the labor market in December.