The antitrust investigation targets some of Silicon Valley?s best known companies, including Google, Yahoo, Apple and several others, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation.

Investors who flocked to the dollar are now turning away from it on concerns about the possibility of inflation.

While the Obama administration and some institutions have pushed for a single federal regulator, it may make sense to have many, more effective ones.

The carmaker, which has lost significant market share over the last three decades, projects in its bankruptcy filing that the slide will taper off.

Australia's economy has avoided falling into a recession after its economy grew 0.4% in the first three months of 2009.

Network Rail reports that in the past year punctuality was at its highest since 1992 and it made pre-tax profits of £1.5bn.

Reuters - Asian shares hovered close to eight-month highs on Wednesday, pausing for breath after rallying on optimism that the global economy is through the worst, while the dollar struggled near its latest set of lows for the year.

Chinese investments in Australian mining have tapped queasiness in Australia over China?s rising influence.

Morgan Stanley is to raise a further $2.2bn (£1.3bn) through a share sale as it aims to start repaying government aid.

UK consumers were more optimistic in May about the economy than they had been for six months, a survey suggests.

British railway infrastructure operator Network Rail sees its annual profit dip to £1.5bn and its debt level increase.

Reuters - Asian shares rose to fresh eight-month highs on Wednesday, as U.S. home sales data added to optimism that the global economy is through the worst, while the dollar struggled off its latest set of lows for the year.

Reuters - Distrust of business has risen in the wake of the financial crisis and about half those surveyed around the world see the private sector as corrupt, watchdog Transparency International said on Wednesday.

AFP - Workers at troubled German retailer Arcandor want to press Chancellor Angela Merkel for state aid, a press report said Wednesday, as a government-backed rescue of car maker Opel raises hopes in other sectors.

Oil prices gain ground in early trading, fuelled by the weakness of the dollar and buoyant US home sales data.

Confidence among service sector firms across the eurozone rises to a 15-month high, a survey claims.

New South African President Jacob Zuma promises to create half a million jobs this year in his first state of the nation address.

The pound reaches its highest level against the dollar in seven months, and also gains in strength against the euro.

After months in the doldrums, is the pound recovering?

The number of higher rate taxpayers will have shrunk by a million in two years, according to HM Revenue & Customs.

Women's fashion retailer New Look has seen its yearly profits and sales increase despite the recession.

Reuters - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday, as investors were poised to pocket a portion of their recent lofty gains ahead of key macroeconomic data.

Reuters - European stocks fell on Wednesday and government bonds ticked higher after investors turned cautious after optimism about the global economy pushed world stocks to fresh 7-1/2 highs and sterling to 2009 peaks earlier.

Investors booked profits from earlier in the week with Britain?s FTSE 100 index leading the way lower amid uncertainty about the future of the Labour government.

The N97 is the surest sign that Nokia is looking to win more revenue from data services.

The impact of the financial crisis has increased people's fears of corruption among private firms, a global survey says.

Staff at the European Central Bank are due to hold their first ever strike later, in a protest over pensions and other benefits.

Oil giant BP, one of the largest employers in the private sector, is to close its UK final salary pension scheme to new recruits.

Starbucks is told it does not need to repay millions of dollars to junior staff who had to share their tips with supervisors.

Lloyds Banking Group is set to shed 530 jobs and close one customer service site in Kent by the end of this year.

JPMorgan Chase and American Express are the latest US banks to announce share issues as they aim to raise funds to repay the government

Reuters - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday, as investors were set to take profits ahead of key macroeconomic data on jobs and manufacturing.

Reuters - Planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell for a fourth consecutive month in May, reaching the lowest level in eight months and offering another sign that the United States may be pulling out of a steep economic tailspin.

Reuters - European stocks fell and Wall Street was set for a weaker start on Wednesday as investors turned cautious after economic optimism pushed world stocks to fresh 7-1/2 month highs and sterling to 2009 peaks earlier.

The private-sector job losses reported by the ADP employment service came in slightly higher than economists? forecasts, and the April figure was revised higher.

Wall Street opened lower after a private-sector jobs report heightened concerns over the sustainability of a four-month rally.

Investment in new capacity to produce power from renewable sources overtook investment in fossil fuel-based sources in 2008, although overall investment in cleaner power slowed.

The data storage giant NetApp topped its earlier bid for Data Domain by offering $30 a share in cash and stock, closely following an all-cash offer by EMC.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell at the open on Wednesday after data showed employers chopped more than half a million jobs in May, signaling conditions remained tough, and investors booked profits.

Reuters - The U.S. economy's recovery may have stalled after data on Wednesday showed half a million private sector jobs were lost in May and mortgage applications fell last week as rising interest rates frightened away buyers.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on Wednesday that rising U.S. debt was contributing to a spike in longer-term interest rates, and said now was the time to start working on reining in deficits.

Reuters - Student lender Sallie Mae expects loan losses to peak in 2009, although charge-offs are likely to stay high, Chief Executive Albert Lord said at a conference on Wednesday.

Reuters - Fannie Mae on Wednesday said it sold $1 billion in bills at lower interest rates compared with sales of the same maturities a week ago.

Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, said the government needs to turn its attention to restoring fiscal balance even as it tries to spend its way out of a downturn.

New orders received by factories rose 0.7 percent, the government reported, while an index on the service sector shrank again last month.

World oil prices fall back, with investors growing more cautious as crude approaches the $70-a-barrel mark.

The pound hits its highest level against the dollar in seven months, before falling back as the greenback gained ground.

The number of new orders received by US factories rose in April but March's figure was revised downwards.

The German majority owner of travel firm Thomas Cook warns it could go into administration within weeks until it gets emergency loans from Berlin.

Staff at the European Central Bank hold their first-ever strike, in a protest over pensions and other benefits.

The UK service sector saw unexpected growth in May, according to a survey, signalling that the recession could be easing.

Barclays bank and oil giant BP become the latest employers to shut or scale back their final salary pension schemes.

Reuters - U.S. stocks dropped on Wednesday on weaker-than-expected economic data, and energy and resource shares, led by Chevron, fell after the government reported a build-up in oil inventories, reflecting reduced demand.

Reuters - The United States may have hit a bump on the road to economic recovery, according to data released on Wednesday, with half a million private sector jobs lost in May and mortgage applications falling last week in the face of rising interest rates.

Reuters - KeyCorp and Huntington Bancshares Inc , two of Ohio's largest banks, announced plans on Wednesday to raise common equity, as they try to position themselves to repay federal bailout money.

AP - Sallie Mae CEO Albert Lord said Wednesday he expects loan charge-offs at the student lending company to peak in 2009 and remain high next year.

The market?s decline broke a four-day advance, and many analysts said a pullback was due after its recent strong rise.

If investors in New York and London are seeing the green shoots of economic recovery, their counterparts in developing countries say they are witnessing a full-on spring.

At live events, the Ideablob Corporation encourages entrepreneurs to step up and pitch their ideas to an audience of their peers.

A federal appeals court agreed to hear an appeal of Chrysler?s sale to Fiat, after a lower court judge approved the move to help expedite the process.

Dairy Farmers of Britain, which is responsible for 10% of UK milk production, goes into receivership.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell to session lows on Wednesday, led lower by energy shares such as Exxon Mobil after an unexpected build-up in oil inventories and weaker-than-expected economic data.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sounded a cautiously upbeat note on the U.S. economy on Wednesday but warned that corralling government debt was vital to ensuring the nation's long-term health.

Reuters - An Internet search deal between Yahoo Inc and Microsoft Corp could provide important benefits in scale and yield up to $700 million in cost savings, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz said.

AP - From paper towels at Toys R Us to bagged lettuce at Target, several large retailers are taking a page from Wal-Mart — the king of one-stop shopping.

The automaker?s operations in emerging markets, which have been growing even in the downturn, have spent years emphasizing affordability and fuel efficiency.

Wall Street is clearly expecting an aggressive bidding war for Data Domain after NetApp matched EMC?s $30-a-share bid for the data backup company.

Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire activist investor, appears to have won at least one seat on the board of Biogen Idec in his second attempt to elect his own directors of the company.

The company said Madrid approved its plan to allow it to lay off as many as 12,000 Spanish employees as it seeks to reduce European capacity in line with falling demand.

For some entrepreneurs, sites like Twitter and Facebook have been a great help in reaching out to potential and current customers.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman fears the economic slowdown could last five to 10 years.

Reuters - Stocks ended lower on Wednesday, halting a four-day winning streak, as declining oil prices hit energy shares, while less upbeat economic reports sparked more concern about recovery prospects.

Reuters - Biogen Idec Inc officials told shareholders on Wednesday they did not yet know if Carl Icahn -- who has called for the biotechnology company to be split in two -- had won seats on the board.

The market?s decline broke a four-day advance, and many analysts said a pullback was due after its recent strong rise.

Emerging markets are rising, and their prospects for growth are viewed as better than those of the United States or Europe.

Manchester United will replace the three-letter logo of one American insurer, now emblazoned on players? shirts, with the three-letter logo of another American insurer.

G.M.?s chief and Chrysler?s vice chairman said that creating a streamlined dealer corps was vital for survival.

Chinese investments in Australian mining have tapped queasiness in Australia over China?s rising influence.

Why nations benefit more from banks than bombs

Ghana wants its offshore wealth to benefit its people

What will the economic recovery look like?

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Wednesday, halting a four-day winning streak, as falling oil prices hit energy shares, while less upbeat economic reports rekindled worries about recovery prospects.

Reuters - The Obama administration plans to unveil on June 17 its sweeping plan to overhaul financial regulation, according to a source familiar with thinking at the U.S. Treasury Department.

AP - Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the Justice Department are disputing a tax refund he recently received worth more than $500,000 and whether it should be used to pay court-ordered restitution or his family's massive debts.

The chief executive of General Motors, Fritz Henderson, told Congress that ?it?s our obligation to be open and transparent in all we do to reinvent G.M.?

Ben S. Bernanke said the government needed to turn its attention to restoring fiscal balance, even as it tries to spend its way out of the economic crisis.

No longer content in the background, companies from Taiwan are seeking the higher profits of a global brand.

A former vice chairman of the accounting firm admitted helping clients evade more than $200 million in taxes through illegal tax shelters.

The Bank of England and European Central Bank are both expected to keep interest rates on hold at their latest meetings.

Top English clubs saw revenues reach record levels in the 2007/08 season, but wages and debt also soared, a report says.

The UK retains its spot as the most attractive investment destination for foreign firms.

Countries worldwide are paying higher interest rates on their expanding debt, which could translate into hundreds of billions of dollars more in spending for countries like the U.S., Britain and Germany.

Ben S. Bernanke said the government needed to turn its attention to restoring fiscal balance, even as it tries to spend its way out of the economic crisis.

The plan by the top futures trading official will impose new restrictions, and higher costs, on those trading in the instruments.

If investors in New York and London are seeing the green shoots of economic recovery, their counterparts in developing countries are witnessing a full-on spring.

Downturns have produced major reforms in Russia in the past, but last year?s collapse in oil prices may not have lasted long enough to bring about change.

No longer content in the background, companies from Taiwan are seeking the higher profits of a global brand.

Selling off the troubled mortgages, even with government help, would force banks to mark down the loans and book big losses.

Both suitors are offering $1.9 billion for Data Domain, a maker of computer storage products.

Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire activist investor, claimed a major victory in his long-running battle with Biogen Idec on Wednesday, announcing that two allies had been placed on the company?s board.

ArcelorMittal was granted permission to cut hours by the government in Spain, which has the highest jobless rate in Europe.

Moviegoers may get a dose of advocacy this month as commercials intended to spell out the perils of frivolous lawsuits come to theaters.

The United States Court of Appeals in New York reinstated a case against Shell Nigeria, which a lower court judge dismissed last year.

Regulators are pushing for greater disclosure of salaries and bonuses, as authorities are focusing on how pay is determined.

Palm?s new multitouch smartphone may be the challenger that can finally out-iPhone the iPhone.

Downturns have produced major reforms in Russia in the past, but last year?s collapse in oil prices may not have lasted long enough to bring about change.

Even with low-cost generics and discounting by big chains, many Americans still find themselves unable to afford their prescription medications.

Some employment and antitrust lawyers claim that there is an unwritten agreement among the major technology companies not to poach employees from one other.

With new warnings about employment levels, analysts said Wall Street may be trading sideways after a rebound from lows in early March.

Under sharp questioning from senators, auto executives said their actions were a necessary part of creating leaner, more competitive companies.

A federal appeals court stayed a court?s order that would have forced Dish Network and EchoStar to disable millions of digital video recorders that infringe a patent held by TiVo.

Palm?s new multitouch smartphone may be the challenger that can finally out-iPhone the iPhone.