
US pending home sales jump to nearly a 6-year high
An index measuring the number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes in October jumped to nearly its highest level in almost six years.
Italy claims Google failed to declare millions
Google says it has been working with Italian authorities on an audit of the tax it pays in the country, after financial police determined the Internet ...

Tiffany 3Q results miss Street, cuts 2012 outlook
Tiffany & Co.'s third-quarter net income fell 30 percent, stung by a higher-than-expected tax rate, ongoing economic weakness and high precious metal ...

Once technology's height, Concord timeline at end
A French court overturned the conviction of Continental Airlines and its mechanic in the crash of a Concorde that helped lead to the demise of the ...
Rate on US 30-year mortgage ticks up to 3.32 pct.
Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages stayed close to record lows this week, a trend that has made home buying more affordable and helped the housing ...
Egypt: IMF deal not endangered by political unrest
Egypt's foreign minister says the political unrest roiling his country after President Mohammed Morsi seized more power should not affect Egypt's ...
Stocks open higher as budget talks move ahead
Stocks are rising in early trading on Wall Street as optimism builds that a budget deal will be reached in Washington. Later Thursday Treasury ...

Review: 'Epic Mickey 2' builds a worse mousetrap
While Mickey Mouse has been the face of The Walt Disney Co. for more than 80 years, I don't think he's anyone's favorite toon. The kids in my family ...

A look at scandals involving UK media
After a yearlong inquiry full of sensational testimony, Britain's Lord Justice Brian Leveson released a report Thursday into the culture and practices ...

Residents battle high water in South Dakota town
Standing along a South Dakota waterfront shored up with boulders, Kevin Jens peered at the placid lake and reminisced about a road that led to a ...

US futures moving higher as budget talks proceed
U.S. stock futures rose Thursday on optimism over a deal on the U.S. budget and ahead of a high-level meeting between the Treasury chief and Senate ...
EU backs free trade talks with Japan
European Union foreign ministers say they have agreed to open free trade negotiations with Japan. Cyprus' commerce minister Neoklis Sylikiotis, whose ...
Key Nov. sales figure falls at Target
Target says a key revenue figure fell 1 percent in November, hurt by weak sales in the first two weeks of the month. Analysts surveyed by Thomson ...

Factory owner: I didn't know fire exits needed
The owner of a Bangladesh clothing factory where a fire killed 112 people says he was never informed the facility was required to have an emergency ...
Italian borrowing costs drop to 2010 levels
Italy has easily raised nearly €6 billion ($7.7 billion) in a pair of bond sales that saw interest rates drop to their lowest levels since late 2010.
Report: Economy boosted entrepreneurship in 2011
The slow improvement in the economy gave a huge boost to entrepreneurship in the U.S. last year, according to a study released Thursday. More than 29 ...
GM venture in China plans $1 billion auto plant
General Motors Co. and its joint venture partners in China say they will spend 6.6 billion yuan ($1 billion) to build a third car plant to keep up ...
Spain's Iberia workers to strike before Christmas
Labor unions representing most workers in Spain's Iberia airline say they will stage six days of strikes right before the Christmas holiday period to ...

Empire State Building surprises NY with new lights
In the middle of the night, as most of New York slept, something big and bright lit up the Manhattan skyline for just seconds — a tightly kept secret ...
German unemployment drops slightly in November
Official figures show the number of Germans unemployed ticked down slightly in November, even though growth in Europe's largest economy is coming off ...

NKorea speculation overshadows SKorean rocket
South Korea on Thursday scrapped an attempt to fire its first satellite into orbit from its own soil amid speculation that North Korea was preparing ...

2 lucky winners for record Powerball jackpot
Powerball officials say tickets sold in Arizona and Missouri matched all six numbers to win the record the record $579.9 million jackpot. Now the hunt ...
Asia stocks up on hopes for a US budget deal
Signs that U.S. political leaders may be closing in on a budget deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" boosted Asian stock markets Thursday.
APNewsBreak: DeCinces indicted for insider trading
Former Baltimore Orioles all-star Doug DeCinces and three others were indicted Wednesday on insider trading charges involving the use of information ...

NY mayor seeks more disaster aid for Sandy victims
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appealed to congressional leaders Wednesday for quick action on providing tens of billions of dollars in new ...