This week AT&T has sent out text messages to 75 million customers ? urging subscribers to tune into Tuesday night?s season premier of ?American Idol.?

An army of retailers are trying to make a bounty off of merchandise tied to Barack Obama?s inauguration.

A deal to restore Russian gas shipments to Europe seemed to be unraveling hours after it took effect.

China?s foreign reserves grew in the fourth quarter of last year at the slowest pace since the summer of 2004, as the country?s central bank found itself with fewer dollars to buy Treasury bonds and other foreign assets.

After searching for a direction for much of the morning, the Dow ended the day marginally lower, while crude oil futures moved slightly higher.

Business leaders paint a bleak picture of the UK economy, with a survey suggesting a 'frightening deterioration'.

Even some of the bailout program?s harshest critics acknowledge that things most likely would be even worse without it.

Citigroup is moving to dismantle large parts of its troubled financial empire, undoing the landmark merger that created the company a decade ago.

The company behind Botox plans to introduce the first F.D.A.-approved drug for growing longer eyelashes.

The new editors are Elizabeth Spayd, who has held top posts in the paper?s digital and print newsrooms, and Raju Narisetti, who spent years at The Wall Street Journal.

The drug company plans to reduce its global research staff by 5 percent to 8 percent in an effort to refocus disappointing research efforts and cut its overhead.

After searching for a direction for much of the morning, the Dow ended the day marginally lower, while crude oil futures moved slightly higher.

Royal Bank of Scotland raises $2.34bn (£1.6bn) by selling its entire stake in Bank of China, the mainland's third biggest lender.

Toshiba is in talks to buy Fujitsu's hard disk drive business, which would create the world's largest maker of small hard drives.

A plan to guarantee up to £20bn of loans to small businesses to help them survive the downturn is unveiled.

The jobs market for graduates is set to become much tougher, suggests a survey of leading employers.

JJB Sports says it may be heading for a full-year loss of up to £10m after sales fall in 'extremely difficult' trading.

About 2,000 workers at Vauxhall's car plant in Cheshire are returning to work after a month-long Christmas shutdown.

Reuters - Asian shares recovered on Wednesday from a steep five-day sell-off and oil rose on expectations for production cuts, though the mood remained cautious given nagging worries about the economy and earnings.

Reuters - India's fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services Ltd named new auditors on Wednesday, the first step by the government-appointed board as the company battles for survival after unveiling the country's biggest corporate scandal.

Germany sees its growth rate virtually halve in 2008, declining to just 1.3%, according to initial estimates.

Will Americans always buy gas guzzlers?

Jaguar Land Rover announces it is cutting 450 jobs, including 300 managers.

The administrators at music, games and DVD retail chain Zavvi say they are closing 18 stores with immediate effect.

Reuters - Stock futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday on rising concerns about a gloomy earnings season and a deep global recession.

Citigroup is moving to dismantle large parts of its troubled financial empire, undoing the landmark merger that created the company a decade ago.

Deutsche Bank AG, Germany?s biggest bank, said that it lost an estimated $6.4 billion in the fourth quarter last year.

The German economy contracted by up to 2 percent in the last quarter of 2008 as tumbling exports took their toll.

The natural gas crisis in Europe continued as the standoff between Russia and Ukraine left millions of homes without heating fuel for another day.

Deutsche Bank says it lost 4.8bn euros in the last quarter and warns of a full-year loss for 2008.

A government-appointed board names new auditors for fraud-hit Indian IT firm Satyam, to replace PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Shares in transport firm FirstGroup fall 12% after it says revenues at its North American Greyhound bus business have fallen.

The European Commission president says Russian and Ukrainian energy firms may be sued over gas dispute.

Barclays says it will cut 2,100 jobs from its UK banking business in addition to the same number it announced on Tuesday.

The telephone equipment maker has faced intense competition from rivals such as Alcatel-Lucent, as well as low-cost Asian vendors, and has suffered as companies scale back spending.

It was a record sixth straight monthly decline as consumers were battered by a recession, a severe credit crisis and soaring job losses.

The global economic downturn weighed heavily on fourth quarter earnings at Germany?s biggest bank.

US retail sales fell by more than expected in December as consumers cut spending over the holiday period.

Debt fears may undermine huge German rescue plan

The biggest record shop in New York, the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, is to close in April.

Reuters - Stocks slid at the open on Wednesday as fears of more credit losses in the banking sector and signs of further contraction in consumer spending compounded worries about fallout from the recession.

AFP - US retail sales in December plunged 2.7 percent, more than twice market forecasts, as consumers snapped wallets shut amid the deepening recession, government data showed Wednesday.

It was a record sixth straight monthly decline as consumers were battered by a recession, a severe credit crisis and soaring job losses.

Investor anxiety about the economy and the health of the banking industry sent stocks down sharply in early trading.

A day after the bank said it would cut 2,100 positions at its investment banking unit, it announced 2,100 job cuts in its retail, commercial banking and credit card businesses.

Shares in Europe and the US have fallen sharply after more bleak news on the US economy alarmed investors.

Fraud-hit Indian IT firm Satyam needs to borrow money to continue trading, a new member of its board tells the BBC.

Deutsche Bank says it lost 4.8bn euros in the last quarter and warns of a full-year loss for 2008.

Canada-based Nortel Networks, maker of telephone equipment, files for bankruptcy protection.

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Wednesday as investors feared more credit losses in the banking sector, while bleak December retail sales compounded worries about the toll on consumers from the deepening recession.

AP - Almost 3,000 British job losses were announced Wednesday by Barclays bank, car maker Jaguar Land Rover and music retailer Zavvi — dealing a blow to government efforts to stem rising unemployment and support businesses as Britain heads deeper into recession.

Oil prices tumbled Wednesday as new government reports suggested that demand for oil and gasoline will not rebound anytime soon.

Some senators objected to holding the hearing on Friday after disclosures of Timothy F. Geithner?s late payment of some taxes in past years.

Federal prosecutors charged a Blackstone executive with insider trading, accusing the investment banker of masterminding a $3.6 million scheme.

The plans include the creation of a 24-hour news channel modeled on Al Jazeera, the Arabic language network.

Debra Ryan is accused of trying to deliver contraband to the convicted hedge fund swindler Samuel Israel while he was in jail.

The Chinese economy grew more than first thought in 2007, overtaking Germany's to become the world's third largest economy.

Business minister Baroness Vadera denies she is complacent after claiming she could see 'a few green shoots' of recovery.

Entertainment retailer HMV says it is buying 14 stores from troubled rival Zavvi and moving in to the live music market.

Reuters - Stocks slid on Wednesday as Citigroup plummeted on worries about the bank's future and retail sales data showed consumers cut back much more than expected during the usually healthy holiday season.

Reuters - A profit warning from Deutsche Bank AG and a prediction HSBC Holdings Plc may need fresh capital shook confidence in two European banks previously credited with dodging the worst of the crisis.

AFP - The German government is considering partially nationalising distressed mortgage lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE), a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party told AFP on Wednesday.

AP - British music and entertainment retailer Zavvi will close another 18 stores and cut 353 jobs, the collapsed company's administrators said Wednesday.

The expected settlement, a record for whistleblower cases, involves criminal and civil charges that Lilly illegally marketed Zyprexa for unauthorized uses.

A federal court upheld a lower court ruling and refused to send the disgraced financier Bernard L. Madoff to jail.

The nation?s largest newspaper publisher said that it will force thousands of workers to take a week off without pay.

The plans include the creation of a 24-hour news channel modeled on Al Jazeera, the Arabic language network.

An army of retailers are trying to make a bounty off of merchandise tied to Barack Obama?s inauguration.

A US judge rejects an appeal that Bernard Madoff should be denied bail while prosecutors investigate his alleged $50bn (£33bn) fraud.

Reuters - Stocks sagged on Wednesday on renewed fears about the outlook for the bank sector while news of a sharp drop in retail sales showed consumers are still besieged by the year-long recession.

Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff will be back in court on Wednesday as U.S. prosecutors again try to persuade a judge to end the house arrest at his luxury apartment and toss him in jail.

Saying his health issues were ?more complex? than he originally thought, Steven P. Jobs is taking a leave until the end of June.

A gloomy retail sales report pushed the Dow down 248 points as investors received another reminder that business was bad.

President-elect Barack Obama offered strong support for Timothy F. Geithner at brief news conference.

The nation?s largest newspaper publisher said that it will force thousands of workers to take a week off without pay.

The global economic downturn weighed heavily on fourth quarter earnings at Germany?s biggest bank.

Motorola says the move will save about $700 million a year starting in 2009, totaling $1.5 billion in annual savings.

Debra Ryan is accused of trying to deliver contraband to the convicted hedge fund swindler Samuel Israel while he was in jail.

Apple chief Steve Jobs is taking leave until the end of June, saying his health issues were more complex than he thought.

Reuters - The United States is close to extending billions of more aid to Bank of America Corp , the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Reuters - Stocks fell to six-week lows on Wednesday on worries about steeper losses at banks worldwide and as U.S. retail sales data pointed to a deepening recession.

Reuters - Motorola Inc said on Wednesday that it would cut another 4,000 jobs, primarily in its mobile phone business, as it forecast a fourth-quarter loss and weaker-than-expected handset sales.

AP - Gold prices fell for a third straight session Wednesday after a dismal retail sales report further raised investors' concerns about a sharp drop in demand for a variety of commodities and raw materials.

Bank of America, struggling with mounting losses at Merrill Lynch, would be the second bank after Citigroup to receive an additional lifeline from the government.

Universities and nonprofits in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are extending support to small businesses.

The global economic downturn weighed heavily on fourth quarter earnings at Germany?s biggest bank.

Debra Ryan is accused of trying to deliver contraband to the convicted hedge fund swindler Samuel Israel while he was in jail.

So many electronics shows, but so few standout products. But maybe that new Palm Pre is worth a word or two.

How banning some pesticides may lead to more GM foods

Reuters - The U.S. government is close to providing billions of dollars of additional support to Bank of America Corp, a person familiar with the matter said, making the bank the second to require a second round of emergency government assistance.

Reuters - JPMorgan's chief executive predicts that the financial crisis will worsen this year, in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper published on Thursday.

Energy companies, conglomerates and financial stocks were hit especially hard as the markets had their worst day in weeks on Wednesday.

Timothy F. Geithner and his accountant appear to have made an honest mistake concerning a confusing part of tax law, according to several tax experts.

As Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in, the hoopla among marketers is reaching new heights with a round of products and advertisements pegged to the inauguration.

So many electronics shows, but so few standout products. But maybe that new Palm Pre is worth a word or two.

Reuters - Bank of America , the largest U.S. bank, is close to getting billions of dollars more in federal support from taxpayers, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Microsoft Corp is considering significant layoffs across its various divisions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the company's plans.

Whether Ruth Madoff knew of her husband?s scheme or whether she didn?t are two unnerving possibilities.

Saying his health issues were ?more complex? than he originally thought, Steven P. Jobs is taking a leave until the end of June.

The sum would settle criminal and civil charges that Lilly illegally marketed Zyprexa for unauthorized uses.

Citigroup wants to sell unprofitable businesses and troublesome assets, but investors wonder whether other companies will have the will or the means to buy them.

As demand for oil has plunged, companies up and down the energy pipeline are acting in ways that would have been unimaginable until recently.

Plans include the creation of a 24-hour news channel modeled on Al Jazeera, the Arabic language network.

Several lawmakers said they still wanted better assurances that the second $350 billion would be more carefully supervised.

Even though Timothy F. Geithner paid more than $48,000 in delinquent taxes and interest, many still see him as best able to handle the economy.

The ailments at what was once America?s most valuable bank seem to lie within the heart of the franchise, so selling the pieces is unlikely to make Citi less accident-prone.

A former Fannie Mae executive has deemed Depression-era efforts to modify ailing mortgages more successful than those being used in the current housing crisis.

A food and wine expert said that she was paid to write a cookbook that was published listing Ruth Madoff as a co-author.

Barnes & Noble, the world?s largest chain of bookstores, laid off 100 people in its New York headquarters on Wednesday, citing a recent downturn in sales.

Reuters - Circuit City Stores concluded the first day of an auction and said it was still in talks with bidders regarding a potential sale of the company or certain assets.

AP - Oil prices fell to near $36 a barrel Thursday in Asia as rising crude inventories and falling retail sales in the U.S. provided investors with further evidence of faltering consumer demand.