LONDON

Brent crude futures turned positive while U.S. oil extended gains on Thursday after news that OPEC had agreed to keep its collective oil output ceiling unchanged for the second half of the year at 30 million barrels per day, according to a delegate to the conference.

As the euro zone lurches from crisis to crisis, the spotlight is set to fall on Chancellor Angela Merkel as world leaders look to Germany to take a lead.

As Suu Kyi tries to become the face of a ?new? Burma, striving for democratic reforms, the country?s western province of Rakhine remains under a state of emergency.

Futures on the major U.S. indices point to a flat opening Thursday ahead of the Department of Labor's report on weekly jobless claims and the Consumer Price Index.

Crude oil futures are slightly lower Thursday as investors await the outcome of the OPEC ministerial meeting in Vienna.

European markets fell Thursday as investor confidence was low ahead of the Italian bond auction later in the day.

Credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service cut its rating on Spanish government debt on Wednesday by three notches to Baa3 from A3, saying the newly approved euro zone plan to help Spain's banks will increase the country's debt burden.

All the latest news as Chelsea look to add to the signings of Marko Marin and Eden Hazard.

Researchers found there was no difference in changes on learning and memory tests among 4,000 people who took either omega-3 fish oil supplements or sunflower or olive oil as a comparison.

Precious and industrial metals have been moving higher over the past few sessions in spite of fundamentals, suggesting commodities traders are loading up on the physical assets in anticipation of seeing at least one of the world's major central banks turn on the money spigots later this month.

Kerri Strug's performance at the 1996 Olympic Games remains one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history.

JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon defended the intent of the portfolio behind the bank's recent multibillion-dollar trading loss, telling lawmakers it was a genuine hedge that would make the firm a lot of money if a credit crisis hit.

Henry Hill, the reputed mobster from New York City whose life became the basis for the film Goodfellas, died on Tuesday in a Los Angeles hospital.. He was 69.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a slightly lower opening Wednesday ahead of the retail sales report and producer price index.

Crude oil futures hovered above $83 a barrel Wednesday ahead of a weekly report on US oil supplies as well as Thursday's OPEC ministerial meeting in Vienna.

European markets rose Wednesday following an overnight rally in the Wall Street amid anticipation that the U.S. Federal Reserve would announce further quantitative easing to support the economy.

Stanford University is testing out the new program Congestion and Parking Relief Incentives, or Capri, to decrease traffic congestion by paying drivers to commute at off-peak hours.

The European Union's ?100 billion ($126 billion) bailout of Spanish banks may have, at least temporarily, saved those institutions. But the rescue is being judged a failure by the markets, as it appears to have seriously damaged the government's ability to borrow from international creditors, something a country running on deficit financing for the foreseeable future is vitally dependent on.

Woe betide he who equates adorable children with luggage.

Though rents went down, grocery bills shrank and companies trimmed their workforce after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Tokyo edged past Angolan capital Luanda to become the world?s most expensive city for expatriates in Mercer?s 2012 survey.

The auction is expected to raise more than three million pounds.