Without a strong political majority to tackle Britain?s lumbering fiscal problems, the stage could be set for a potential double-dip recession, if not worse.

Asian shares rose for a fourth straight session and the euro extended its rebound against the dollar as investors held out hope for a bailout package for debt-ridden Greece.

A plan to allow the Federal Reserve to protect consumers from abusive financial products could be a breakthrough.

Jamestown Properties, a German commercial real estate investment company, has decided it will go ?green? with energy-saving overhauls in nearly its entire $4 billion portfolio of buildings.

Two big commercial developments help revitalize a once-thriving neighborhood in the city?s East End.

Nicolas Chartier, a producer of ?The Hurt Locker,? used e-mail to urge members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to vote for the film, a presumed front-runner in the Oscar race.

City officials and private economists revised their employment forecasts, saying the decline would be about 200,000 jobs.

A widening toxic food scandal has set off a rare case of public sniping between officials.

Michael Carpenter?s pay for a month and a half of work was equivalent to full-year pay of $9.5 million, according to a regulatory filing.

Completed home sales fell 10 percent in the company?s fiscal first quarter, from the same period last year.

CF Industries told shareholders in January that it was done chasing its big rival, Terra Industries, but an about-face by CF has brought it back with a new unsolicited bid worth $4.7 billion.

AP - Relatives of a family killed in a high-speed crash that galvanized attention around safety flaws of Toyotas and led to the recalls of millions of cars have sued the world's largest automaker for product liability and negligence, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

AP - Asian stock markets rose Wednesday amid growing hopes of a solution to Greece's financial crisis.

AP - WINNERS AND LOSERS: Winter storms cut into U.S. clothing sales in February, but e-commerce and in-store sales of luxury goods and consumer electronics rose, according to MasterCard's SpendingPulse.

AP - Oil prices hovered below $80 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after a crude inventory report gave mixed signs about U.S. demand.

The main focus in the markets continues to be the Greek debt crisis and whether Germany and France are prepared to offer a lifeline.

Greece's cabinet is due to meet to agree a new round of tax rises and spending cuts designed to ease the country's financial crisis.

Standard Chartered reports record profits in 2009 and criticises proposals to regulate banks.

Australia's economy grew strongly at the end of 2009, capping a year where it was the only big economy to avoid recession.

ITV returns to profit thanks to cost-cutting work and increasing its share of a declining TV advertising market.

Consumer confidence hit a two-year high in February, buoyed by better news on the economy, a survey says.

AP - Greece will announce painful new spending cuts Wednesday to lift the country out of a major financial crisis, a day after Prime Minister George Papandreou said the country was in a 'state of war' and was fighting for national survival.

AP - General Motors said its February vehicle sales in China rose 51 percent from a year earlier on strong demand for Chevrolet and Cadillac models as well as its popular minivans.

AP - After skewering top Toyota executives in three congressional hearings, lawmakers and federal safety officials will now decide if the auto industry needs new regulations to ensure that the company's huge safety recalls aren't repeated.

AP - German sportswear company Adidas AG says its net income fell 62 percent to euro245 million ($333 million) as it experienced higher costs and a drop in demand during the downturn.

The euro rises against the dollar as the Greek government unveils a new series of severe spending cuts.

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey more than halves its full-year losses and says housing markets have now improved.

AP - German sportswear company Adidas AG said Wednesday its fourth quarter net income declined 64 percent to euro19 million ($26 million) on rising purchasing costs, currency effects and a drop in demand during the downturn.

AP - Most Asian stock markets rose Wednesday amid growing hopes of a solution to Greece's financial crisis. European shares were down modestly.

AP - Standard Chartered PLC on Wednesday reported a seventh consecutive record annual profit, of $3.38 billion, as stronger wholesale banking earnings offset an increase in provisions for bad loans and other credit risks.

AFP - The Greek government, facing a debt crisis of 'wartime' dimensions and fighting to avert bankruptcy, held a special session on Wednesday to launch draconian new budget action.

Reuters - Costco Wholesale Corp on Wednesday reported a higher quarterly profit for its holiday quarter, helped by more shoppers coming into its stores and improved sales of discretionary items, like home decor and clothes.

Reuters - Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMb.ST) is planning a two-for-one stock split in response to investor calls to make its shares more tradeable.

AFP - Oil prices rose slightly on Wednesday as the market awaited a weekly snapshot of crude stockpiles in the United States -- the world's biggest energy consuming nation.

Looking to save at least $5.5 billion and narrow its gaping deficit, Greece approved tax hikes and budget cuts.

German sportswear firm Adidas reports a 64% drop in net income in the last three months of 2009 from a year earlier.

Google has told a US Senate committee that censorship in China favours local firms.

South Korea's Kia aims to double share in Europe

AP - World markets traded in a narrow range Wednesday amid hopes of a solution to Greece's financial crisis after the government unveiled further brutal measures to bring down its borrowing levels.

AP - Snowstorms that shut in shoppers last month also chilled sales at women's clothing stores compared with a year earlier, but most retail sectors saw gains in February, data released Wednesday show.

AP - Strong overseas sales growth and increased gasoline prices boosted Costco Wholesale Corp.'s revenue in the second quarter, and the warehouse club operator's profit climbed 25 percent.

AP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel held an extraordinary meeting with top level ministers to discuss the Greek debt crisis, according to national media Wednesday.

AP - Oil prices rose to $80 a barrel Wednesday as the dollar weakened and a crude inventory report gave mixed signs about U.S. demand.

Reuters - Nissan Motor Co (7201.T), Japan's third-biggest car maker, said it will recall about 540,000 vehicles worldwide due to potential defects in brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components, mostly in the United States.

The new measures aim to save at least $5.5 billion in order to narrow Greece?s gaping budget deficit.

Apple?s patent suit against HTC will not cause major problems for the Taiwan technology company in the short term, analysts said. But it could strain its relations with partners in the U.S. market.

Oil prices rises as Greece took new steps to reduce spending and contain its economic crisis, boosting the euro against the dollar.

Japan's third largest carmaker recalls nearly 540,000 vehicles, the majority in the US.

The UK jobs market continues to improve, with the biggest growth in new permanent staff posts for 30 months, a report says.

The Greek government approves a package of tax rises and spending cuts to save 4.8bn euros and ease its budget crisis.

AP - The European Commission and the top economy official in the 16 nations that use the euro backed Greece's extra budget cuts on Wednesday, saying they would help the financial stability of Europe's currency union.

Reuters - Warehouse club operators Costco Wholesale Corp and BJ's Wholesale Club Inc posted quarterly earnings that fell short of Wall Street expectations, and Costco shares fell 3.6 percent.

AP - Germany welcomed Greece's new austerity plan as an important step toward restoring market confidence but made clear Wednesday that it is not currently planning to pledge aid to Athens.

AP - Planted explosives damaged a Royal Dutch Shell PLC oil flow station in the Niger Delta, a company spokesman said Wednesday, marking the latest attack in a region supposedly brought under control by a government amnesty program.

BusinessWeek - When Mario Massillamany and his parents left Sri Lanka in 1983, they landed in Indianapolis and eventually settled some 20 miles away in Fishers, Ind., a bustling community with ornamental street lamps, a train station, and clear roads during the snow season. Over the years, the fast-growing town attracted many young families, added new homes, and improved its recreational and entertainment amenities. Residents can drive from one end of town to the other in about a quarter of an hour, finding grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals within minutes. ...

Indexes on Wall Street opened quietly after Greece announced more tax increases and pay cuts in its effort to control its deficit.

The drug, called Dimebon, failed in its first late-stage clinical trial, dealing a blow to patients with Alzheimer?s and the companies developing the treatment, Medivation and Pfizer.

The services index, which rose to 53.0 last month from 50.5 in January, grew at its fastest pace in more than two years.

Can the rating agencies really judge credit risk?

The UK service sector grew at its fastest monthly pace in three years in February, figures show.

Man Utd chief executive David Gill dismisses concerns surrounding the Glazer family, claiming the owners are 'running the club the right way'.

An application called Buxter allows Facebook friends to share money with each other for small value transactions.

AP - Stocks rose Wednesday after debt-burdened Greece announced a budget that creates $6.5 billion in savings.

AP - Growth in the U.S. service sector accelerated in February to its fastest pace in more than two years, but jobs remained hard to find.

AP - Most retail sectors including electronics and luxury items saw sales gains in February, data released Wednesday show, though snowstorms that shut in shoppers also chilled sales at women's clothing stores.

AP - Germany welcomed Greece's new austerity plan as an important step toward restoring market confidence but made clear Wednesday that it is not currently planning to pledge aid to Athens.

FT.com - How the eurozone 'deals' with Greece is clearly important, but in terms of having the power to seriously derail global markets, the ones that really matter are the UK and the US, says Bob Janjuah, chief markets strategist at RBS.

AP - The governors of North Dakota and Montana are enlisting domestic oil producers Wednesday to pressure a Canadian energy company to allow domestic crude onto a pipeline planned from Alberta to the Gulf Coast.

AP - The death of three Tesla engineers in a plane crash last month was a heavy blow for the tight-knit Californian electric car maker, but it is holding onto its plan of producing and selling the new Model S within three years, its chief designer said Wednesday at the Geneva Motor Show.

The European Central Bank may be ready to return to competitive bidding to set the interest rate on three-month loans, which would raise costs for banks in the euro area.

The French and Japanese carmakers said that they will continue seeking ways to cooperate.

One thousand British Airways staff have offered to work as cabin crew if strikes at the airline go ahead.

Britain's railways watchdog expresses concerns about plans to overhaul the way the network will be maintained in the future.

Tax cheats will be named and shamed by HM Revenue & Customs from 1 April, if they have dodged more than £25,000 of tax.

The proportion of people who own their own homes is likely to keep on falling, the Council of Mortgage Lenders says.

AP - An upbeat report on services industries and more takeover news boosted stocks for a fourth day.

AP - The Transportation Department is hearing from some Toyota owners who say they're still having trouble with unintended acceleration after their recalled cars were repaired.

AP - Greece's plans to save $6.5 billion bolstered market confidence in the country's ability to manage its heavy debt and ended the dollar's recent rally Wednesday.

AP - Shop-at-home company HSN Inc. said Wednesday that it returned to a fourth-quarter profit after accounting charges dragged down results the prior year. That sent its shares to an all-time high.

AP - Parliament ousted Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in a no-confidence motion on Wednesday that could end a political deadlock that has forced Ukraine to cope with a severe economic crisis without a budget.

AP - The European Central Bank is expected to announce Thursday that special lending to banks introduced during the financial crisis will be scaled back — even though recovery from recession is proving to be weaker than hoped.

AP - The chief executive of homebuilder Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. says that even if efforts to modify at-risk mortgages fail to stem foreclosures, that won't completely devastate the housing market.

AP - Oil prices rose above $80 a barrel Wednesday as the dollar weakened and refineries increased production ahead of the traditionally busy summer driving season.

Reuters - Global carmakers exporting from the euro zone ought to benefit from newfound weakness in the currency but auto executives at the Geneva Autoshow agree the 10-percent drop over the last three months is hard to handle.

The new measures aim to save $6.54 billion in order to help defuse Greece?s debt crisis.

The latest regional report found that the economy showed signs of modest improvement even though harsh snowstorms crimped activity in some parts of the country.

Robert A. Lutz, 78, who had said earlier that he had not plans to leave, now says he is ready to retire.

The US economy has continued to grow this year but only at a 'modest' pace, with heavy snow a key factor, the Fed says.

AP - Stocks lost strength after the Federal Reserve said the economy continues to grow at a slow pace.

AP - Bob Lutz, the longtime auto industry executive who led nearly a complete overhaul of General Motors' lineup, will retire May 1.

AP - Shares of Internap Network Services rose Wednesday after the company reported fourth-quarter results above analyst expectations.

AP - Greece has announced a new euro4.8 billion (US$6.5 billion) austerity package to deal with the financial crisis. Here is a summary of some of the key measures:

AP - Government-owned mortgage finance company Freddie Mac on Wednesday priced $5.5 billion in three-year reference notes.

AP - Oct. 4, 2009: Greek Socialists win general election, defeating conservatives who had been in power since March 2004.

AP - Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a strong gain in the 2nd quarter due to strong sales, higher gasoline prices and the benefit of the weaker dollar on overseas sales. Sales at stores open at least a year are considered a key measure of a retailer's performance. Here's a look at how it fared.

AP - WHAT DROVE COMMODITIES TRADING: Grains, metals and energy prices all rose thanks to a weakening dollar Wednesday.

AFP - Embattled US automaker General Motors on Wednesday announced its vice chairman Robert Lutz would retire in May.

This year, $135 billion, or 34 percent, of takeover deals have been linked to companies in the developing world.

The latest regional report found that the economy showed signs of modest improvement even though harsh snowstorms crimped activity in some parts of the country.

The new measures aim to save $6.54 billion in order to help defuse Greece?s debt crisis.

The drug, called Dimebon, failed in its first late-stage clinical trial, dealing a blow to patients with Alzheimer?s and the companies developing the treatment, Medivation and Pfizer.

Even as car companies struggle to pull out of a deep crisis, they are not scrimping on auto show bombast.

AP - Early gains in stocks unraveled Wednesday on concern that the economy will see a slow recovery.

AP - The economy is growing slowly, but snowstorms crimped activity along the East Coast last month, according to a Federal Reserve report.

AP - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the administration will not accept a bill overhauling financial regulations that does not contain strong protection for consumers.

AP - Celera Corp., a laboratory testing products and disease management services company, reported a fourth-quarter profit on lower costs and a tax benefit.

AP - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Wednesday that it maintained its junk ratings on retailer Limited Brands Inc., saying the company will likely continue to face sales pressures through the first half of the year as customers hold on to their wallets.

AP - The ratings outlook for building products manufacturer Masco Corp. was lifted Wednesday to 'Stable' from 'Negative' by Standard & Poor's analysts, a reflection of an improving housing market.

AP - TransCanada executives said Wednesday they will consider letting Montana and North Dakota crude oil onto a proposed pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico, after hearing demand for such a project from U.S. oil producers.

Reuters - The U.S. agency that insures corporate pensions will assume plans covering 5,800 workers and retirees of a joint venture in California between Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and General Motors Co that closes at the end of the month.

The drug, cabazitaxel, extended the lives of men with advanced cancer and could become a new last-ditch treatment.

Investigators want an aviation group to consider a requirement that airlines send flight information to a receiver other than the black boxes.

Local governments have tried a variety of approaches, like wage subsidies and grants, to help keep small businesses start or stay alive.

AP - Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., picked a busy time to temporarily step aside as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. A host of tax cuts, most enacted in 2001 and 2003, are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. If Congress doesn't act, this is what taxpayers will face Jan. 1:

AP - Bob Lutz, the longtime auto industry executive who led nearly a complete overhaul of General Motors' lineup, will retire May 1.

AP - Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported a fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday on lower costs and a boost in sales from the sleep disorder treatment Xyrem.

AP - Teen retailer Hot Topic Inc. on Wednesday said February sales fell 7 percent at stores open at least a year.

AP - The ratings outlook for building products manufacturer Masco Corp. was lifted Wednesday to 'Stable' from 'Negative' by both Fitch and Standard & Poor's analysts, a reflection of an improving housing market.

This year, $135 billion, or 34 percent, of takeover deals have been linked to companies in the developing world.

Federal regulators said they had received 10 reports of vehicles accelerating unexpectedly after being repaired.

Advertisers on Facebook are a motley bunch. Some are Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble. Others are ?not only creepy but off-putting,? says a media consultant.

Studies show that in some cases the devices can quickly begin to wear, generating metallic debris with effects that include groin pain, death of tissue in the hip joint and loss of surrounding bone.

Robert A. Lutz, 78, who had said earlier that he had not plans to leave, now says he is ready to retire.

Investigators want an aviation group to consider a requirement that airlines send flight information to a receiver other than the black boxes.

The Bank of England is likely to keep the cost of borrowing at a record low of 0.5% for the 12th consecutive month.

AP - Asian markets traded in a tight range early Thursday after the latest Greek budget cuts offered hope it would get a bailout and the Federal Reserve signaled the U.S. economic recovery will be slow.

AP - Toyota said Wednesday it will spend $250 million to assist employees at a Northern California factory slated to be closed next month.

AP - Video technology company DivX Inc. reported an adjusted profit well above Wall Street expectations on Wednesday and issued guidance that was also better than expected. Its shares jumped in late trading.

Reuters - U.S. regulators on Wednesday reviewed 10 complaints that fixes made to recalled Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) vehicles did not resolve unintended acceleration.

As Greece pledged anew to rein in its budget deficit, traders weighed the risks and potential rewards posed by the debts of other European governments.

The idea to make brokers fiduciaries who have a responsibility to put their customers? interests first may not survive in the financial overhaul bill.

The legislation would ban some banks from investing in hedge funds or private equity funds and from making trades not for the benefit of their customers.

The report, which said economic gains were modest, dampened enthusiasm that followed an upbeat report on services industries and more takeover news.

AP - Toyota's Prius remains the top-selling car in Japan despite the automaker's global recall woes that included braking problems with the hit hybrid.