For older and low-income viewers who still use set-top rabbit ears or rooftop antennae, the switchover to digital television has often proven a bewildering and cumbersome burden.

Sony Corp. swung to a quarterly operating loss and reiterated a forecast for its first annual loss in 14 years, battered by a firmer yen and weaker demand.

Toshiba Corp. tumbled to a quarterly loss and warned that it would post its first annual operating loss in seven years.

Vladimir V. Putin has long built his strategy for the rebirth of Russia around the export of natural resources.

Japanese electronics giant Sony reports a quarterly loss and confirms it is heading for a record annual loss, as demand weakens.

A one-day strike by public and private sector workers in France is set to disrupt transport, hospital and education services.

Reuters - President Barack Obama's $825 billion stimulus plan cleared its first Congressional hurdle as the Federal Reserve eyed more extreme measures to ease credit market strains, boosting Asian stocks despite deep skepticism that a global slowdown can be quickly reversed.

Reuters - Sony Corp swung to a quarterly operating loss and reiterated a forecast for its first annual loss in 14 years, battered by a firmer yen and weaker demand while highlighting deepening woes at the electronics conglomerate.

Reuters - U.S. government officials seeking to revamp the financial bailout have discussed spending another $1 trillion to $2 trillion to help restore banks to health, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The impact of the stimulus package will be felt within weeks once the final version becomes law, but estimating its effectiveness is far more complex.

Sony and Toshiba reported losses for the last quarter and Nintendo lowered its profit forecast as the earnings season revealed the extent of the erosion in demand.

Royal Dutch Shell, one of the biggest oil companies, posted a $2.81 billion net loss in the final quarter of 2008, the company said.

Japanese electronics firms Sony, Toshiba, and Nintendo see their performance hit by the strength of the yen and the downturn.

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell reports a sharp fall in quarterly profits after the price of oil slumped towards the end of last year.

Time Warner is to cut 700 jobs at AOL, mostly in the US, as the global economic downturn leads to a fall in advertising.

Reuters - Mining group Xstrata Plc, whose shares have been hit by worries about its debt, said it plans to raise about $5.9 billion through a heavily-discounted two-for-one rights issue of new stock.

Reuters - Oil major Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L) said on Thursday fourth-quarter Current Cost of Supply (CCS) net profit fell 28 percent to $4.79 billon as crude prices collapsed, but it still managed to raise its next dividend.

Reuters - Hennes & Mauritz, the world's third-biggest clothing retailer by sales, reported a bigger rise than expected in fourth-quarter pretax profit on Thursday but sales in December lagged forecasts.

Royal Dutch Shell, one of the biggest oil companies, posted a $2.81 billion net loss in the final quarter of 2008, the company said.

At the World Economic Forum, the leaders of the former bastions of the Communist bloc rebuked the U.S. and other capitalist countries for dragging the world into crisis.

The US House of Representatives passes President Obama's $819bn (£572bn) economic package - but without any Republican support.

The mining group Xstrata plans to raise £4.1bn ($5.9bn) in a discounted sale of new shares to cut its level of debt.

German carmaker Volkswagen says it will cut 800 jobs at its Mexican plant in Puebla, the site that produces the new Beetle model.

The central bank of crisis-hit Iceland keeps its interest rate at an unchanged record high of 18%.

Hundreds of thousands of French public and private sector workers begin a one-day strike, causing disruption to trains and flights.

The administrators at Zavvi, the music, games and DVD chain, are closing 15 stores with the loss of 295 jobs.

An engineering group announces it is to close its Ayrshire factory with the loss of nearly 180 jobs.

Reuters - JPMorgan Chase & Co has 'plenty of capital' and wants governments to stop talking about nationalizing banks, its CEO said on Thursday.

Reuters - U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co could take advantage of bankruptcies in the sector by snapping up vacant store locations, but remains cautious as consumer spending continues to slide.

The quarterly loss of or $2.46 a share compared with a loss of $2.8 billion, or $1.33 a share, in period a year ago.

President Obama won House approval for an $819 billion economic plan without a single vote from Republicans as Democrats sought to temper their own differences.

US carmaker Ford reports the biggest full-year loss in its history, but says it still does not need federal loans.

An industry body warns that both airline passenger numbers and air cargo traffic will decline during the coming year.

Swedish clothing store H&M says it plans to create between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs in 2009.

Opec and leading oil producers say an oil price of $60 to $80 a barrel is necessary to fund future investment.

US investor tells of big farm plans for war-torn Sudan

Nigeria cancels an oil exploration deal with South Korea, claiming that Seoul has failed to come up with agreed payments.

Reuters - Ford Motor Co posted a deeper than expected quarterly net loss on Thursday, burning $5.5 billion of cash in its automotive business under a downturn in industry sales amid the global economic crisis.

Reuters - Stock index futures pared their losses on Thursday after Ford Motor Co's earnings results showed the company posted a loss but saw a lower cash burn rate than expected and reaffirmed that it plans to go ahead without government loans.

Ford said on Thursday that it lost $14.6 billion last year and $5.9 billion in the fourth quarter, but it reiterated that it does not need federal aid.

For the year, orders fell 5.7 percent, the second biggest drop on record. In a separate report, the government said the number of people receiving unemployment benefits has reached an all-time high.

The airline reported that it lost $266 million in the fourth quarter as the recession bit into traffic and costs increased.

Investors booked profit on big gains earlier this week in Europe, while on Wall Street, futures pointed lower after a report showed jobless claims had reached a record high.

The impact of the stimulus package will be felt within weeks once the final version becomes law, but estimating its effectiveness is far more complex.

Before charges for the acquisition, Lilly?s earnings beat analyst estimates, despite basically flat sales and a 10 percent decline in revenue from the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa.

Fourth-quarter profit fell 69 percent from year-ago results that included its overseas unit, which has been spun off.

Fourth-quarter earnings fell 34 percent after the power generator was ordered to refund some sales from a six-year period to a number of subsidiaries.

Airbus chief executive Tom Enders says he sees no need for a government bail-out in the current downturn.

Obama's hopes of bi-partisan support dashed in Congress

The US sandwich chain Subway says it is to create up to 7,000 new jobs in the UK and Ireland over the next two years.

Reuters - Wall Street fell on Thursday, pressured by a weak earnings season and an increasingly bleak economic outlook after data showed continuing jobless claims rose to the highest level on record.

Reuters - Eastman Kodak Co posted an unexpected quarterly loss and said it would cut up to 4,500 jobs this year after suffering a dramatic decline in demand for digital cameras and commercial printing equipment.

Thursday brought a hat-trick of grim economic news: New-home sales fell to their slowest pace on record, businesses cut their orders and jobless claims continued to rise.

Wall Street turned cautious as weak profit reports and record unemployment claims offered the latest evidence that the economy continues to struggle.

The deal between YouTube and the William Morris Agency would place the company?s clients in made-for-the-Web productions.

The company said it would cut up to 4,500 jobs this year after suffering a dramatic decline in demand for digital cameras.

The diversified manufacturer said it would cut capital expenditures by 30 percent in response to lower demand.

The company said that cost-cutting, higher prices and new products helped its fourth-quarter results and added that it was comfortable with Wall Street?s 2009 profit forecast.

The consumer products maker cited falling sales and a large asset impairment charge for the fourth-quarter results and gave a weak first-quarter forecast.

The hotel and resort group reported a sharp drop in fourth-quarter profit and predicted a difficult year ahead as the recession hits business and leisure travel across the globe.

A sharp decline in demand for paper products and weaker results from the company?s distribution and forest products businesses hurt fourth-quarter results.

The amount of freight transported by air has suffered a dramatic fall, reflecting the global economic slowdown.

US sales of new homes dropped by 14.7% in December as the credit crisis has made home loans harder to get.

Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods from US factories fell in December for the fifth month in a row.

Unions in France lead big protests against the handling of the economic crisis, causing disruption to rail and air services.

The US sandwich chain unveils plans to open 600 new stores and create 7,000 new jobs, but other UK firms announce job cuts.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Thursday on more dismal earnings from companies including Allstate, and a bleak batch of economic data showed an economy still in the grips of a recession.

Wall Street turned cautious as weak profit reports and record unemployment claims offered the latest evidence that the economy continues to struggle.

President Obama signed his first bill into law on Thursday, approving legislation that expands workers? rights to sue over pay discrimination.

The military contractor?s quarterly net income fell sharply from a year ago, when a big one-time gain lifted profits. The results also reflected $45 million in charges from pension adjustments.

Charges related to the company?s withdrawal from a commercial finance business and cost-cutting measures weighed on results at the maker of Cessna jets.

The tool maker warned of a double-digit fall in organic sales for the first three quarters of 2009 on weakening demand, and said it would cut 1,200 jobs.

Russian airline S7 becomes the first company to cancel an order worth $2.4bn (£1.7bn) for 15 Boeing-787 Dreamliner aircraft.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling decides not to go to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Thursday, stalling a four-day run-up in the S&P and the Nasdaq, as investors worried about a sharply worsening economy, sending shares of bellwethers, including Boeing , tumbling.

Reuters - 3M Co said on Thursday that fourth-quarter profit and sales fell due to the economic downturn, but the company's stock rose 3 percent on hopes that the industrial manufacturer is well-positioned for growth in the latter half of 2009.

The long-term fallout from increased borrowing by the U.S. government, and its potential to drive up inflation and interest rates, seems to getting more attention in Davos than in Washington.

Wall Street turned cautious as weak earnings reports and record unemployment claims offered the latest evidence that the economy continues to struggle.

Fallout from the report of $18.4 billion in bonuses to Wall Street employees rolls from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is the subject of a lawsuit filed today in a county court in New York.

The British government outlined plans to bring broadband to every home in Britain by 2012 and crack down on online piracy.

Continental, JetBlue and US Airways each reported deeper fourth-quarter losses amid pessimism over the near-term outlook for air travel.

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Thursday, derailing a four-day run-up in the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, as investors worried that the recession was deepening after a fresh wave of bleak labor market and housing data.

Reuters - E-commerce will slow this year to a growth rate of 11 percent as consumers cut back sharply on spending, according to research data released on Thursday.

The long-term fallout from increased borrowing by the U.S. government seems to getting more attention in Davos than in Washington.

The president criticized bankers for giving themselves $18.4 billion in bonuses as the economy was spinning out of control and the government was rescuing financial firms.

The company posted strong earnings in a brutal climate that has punished nearly every other retailer, both online and offline.

Ford said it had ?sufficient liquidity? despite losing $14.6 billion last year and $5.9 billion in the fourth quarter.

The move is part of a cost-cutting effort to deal with what it called ?a weakening economy.?

The Colgate-Palmolive Company posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, aided by growth in emerging markets.

In a worldwide crisis, poorer countries fear the richer ones will hog all the financial capital.

President Barack Obama says that multi-billion dollar bonuses taken by Wall Street bankers are 'shameful'.

The Zimbabwean government says local people and businesses can use foreign currencies, in a bid to halt runaway inflation.

Reuters - Amazon.com Inc on Thursday posted a higher profit and robust holiday sales, and forecast fiscal first quarter sales above expectations, and shares of the online retailer rose 11 percent.

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Thursday, derailing a four-day surge in the S&P and Nasdaq as poor earnings coupled with a fresh wave of bleak labor market and housing data heightened fears of a deep recession.

Reuters - No. 1 U.S. trucking company YRC Worldwide Inc on Thursday reported a fourth quarter net loss, citing the impact of the slowing U.S. economy and impairment charges.

Reuters - State insurance regulators voted against a proposal to loosen capital requirements for the battered life insurance industry.

Legislation from Senator Levin and Senator Grassley would give the S.E.C. specific authority to oversee hedge funds.

Profits at online retailer Amazon rose 9% in the final three months of last year, as the company enjoyed robust holiday sales.

The most boisterous people are now humble

EU makes fresh attempt to solve trade row

Recession casts doubt on carbon trading

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Thursday, derailing a four-day surge in the S&P and Nasdaq as poor earnings, coupled with a fresh wave of bleak labor market and housing data, heightened fears of a deep recession.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co plans to lay off 200 people at its ABC division, a Disney executive familiar with the situation said, underscoring the media industry's struggle with sliding ad sales.

AP - Home foreclosures and market volatility are running high. So any investment even remotely connected to mortgages is the last place to look if you're trying to protect your retirement savings, right?

Legislation from Senator Carl Levin and Senator Charles E. Grassley would give the S.E.C. specific authority to oversee hedge funds.

Ford said it had ?sufficient liquidity? despite losing $14.6 billion last year and $5.9 billion in the fourth quarter.

Wall Street turned cautious as weak earnings reports and record unemployment claims offered the latest evidence that the economy continues to struggle.

Thursday brought a hat-trick of grim economic news: New-home sales fell to their slowest pace on record, businesses cut their orders and jobless claims continued to rise.

Continental, JetBlue and US Airways each reported deeper fourth-quarter losses amid pessimism over the near-term outlook for air travel.

Royal Dutch Shell, one of the biggest oil companies, posted a $2.81 billion net loss in the final quarter of 2008, the company said.

The recession in the U.S. has revealed a downside to globalization, and poorer countries fear their access to credit will be stymied.

Japan's economics minister warns the country's falling production rate is unprecedented and 'very serious'.

Reuters - Amazon.com Inc posted higher fourth quarter earnings on robust holiday sales, outshining results from other retailers, and forecast first-quarter sales above expectations, pushing its shares 13 percent higher.

Reuters - Russia's S7 has become the first airline to cancel a major contract for Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner, as the country's airlines face their worst-ever financial crisis.

With clients watching costs, law firms are rethinking the billable hour, with some firms adopting flat fees instead.

Advertisers for the Super Bowl are walking a tightrope this year, trying to entertain and sell products, while not appearing insensitive to the economic environment.

Because of the financial crisis, banks are retrenching and refocusing on their home markets, all but abandoning ambitions of banking on a Continental scale ? or bigger.

The union, which has long resisted offering concessions, said Thursday that it would begin special contract talks with the automakers based in Detroit.

Christina Norman, a 17-year veteran of MTV Networks, will be chief executive of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Eli Lilly reported flat fourth-quarter sales and said earnings fell on charges related to its acquisition late last year of ImClone Systems, the biotechnology company.

The move is part of the trustee?s effort under the Securities Investor Protection Act to gather assets to be returned to defrauded investors.

Since 1996, the top 400 have nearly doubled their share of all income earned in the United States.

Citi and RBS, based in Edinburgh, have at least held insiders accountable. Bank of America, by contrast, has done nothing of the sort.

The International Monetary Fund, which has become a major source of financing for emerging-market nations, is expected to borrow $100 billion from Japan.

Joseph Prokop, a punter who played with several National Football League teams, was charged with conspiracy, preparing false tax returns and fraud.

The company said it would lay off close to 300 people, as well as put employees on unpaid furloughs and suspend contributions to their 401(k) plans.

Kodak said it was cutting 3,500 to 4,500 jobs after sales of its digital and film-based photography products fell by as much as 27 percent in the fourth quarter.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co plans to lay off 200 people at its ABC division, a Disney executive familiar with the situation said, underscoring the media industry's struggle with sliding ad sales.