Allstate held an unusual meeting, bringing high-level managers (and Dennis Haysbert) to meet with sales executives.

Asian stock markets dropped on Thursday and the euro hovered near 10-month lows as a credit downgrade on Portugal added to worries about debt levels in Europe.

The European Commission said such a system would require the United States to contribute information on American citizens' transactions.

Ukraine?s president, Viktor F. Yanukovich, opened talks with Russia to sell control over the operation of natural gas pipelines in Ukraine to a consortium that included the Russian company Gazprom.

While an International Monetary Fund bailout would be one possible solution to the Greek debt problem, European pride and politics stand in the way.

The home builder said it lost $6.5 million in its first fiscal quarter, compared with a loss of $155.9 million a year earlier.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced three Democrats as her choices to join President Obama?s commission on reducing the national debt.

Mr. McGraw, who as leader of McGraw-Hill, his family?s publishing business, helped build it into a billion-dollar enterprise.

AP - Working well past midnight, a weary Senate was mowing down a parade of Republican proposals aimed at undercutting President Barack Obama's signature health care law as Democrats push toward final passage of the companion piece to his overhaul plan.

AP - Relief to seniors facing high prescription drug costs is one of the first changes to come under the new health care overhaul. But ultimately that won't offset the relentless increase in retirees' medical expenses.

AP - Federal regulators are weighing whether to restrict the volume of speculative trading in metals futures, as gold prices have surged in an investor fever.

AP - Oil prices fell to near $80 a barrel Thursday in Asia, extending losses from the previous day after an increase in U.S. crude inventories suggested consumer demand remains weak.

The euro fell to an 11-month low after Fitch reduced its debt ratings for Portugal.

The Dubai government announces it will provide $9.5bn in funding to help its investment vehicle Dubai World restructure its debt.

The EU Commission head urges a eurozone safety net for Greece as leaders meet and Germany calls for IMF involvement.

UK political parties draw up their election battle lines around the economy, after Chancellor Alistair Darling unveiled his Budget.

The euro falls to its lowest level for 10 months as European Union leaders disagree on how best to deal with Greece's debt crisis.

South Korean businessmen travel to the North as Pyongyang threatens to seize their assets in a resort if they do not.

President Hugo Chavez adds three days to Venezuela's Easter holiday in an effort to deal with a growing energy crisis.

Last-ditch talks are taking place in an attempt to avert the first national rail strike since 1994, which could hit Easter travel.

The presidents of Afghanistan and China sign agreements on trade and economic co-operation at talks in Beijing.

Fashion retailer Next saw an 18% rise in profits in 2009 on the back of robust consumer spending despite the recession.

AP - If Greece believes the easiest way out of its financial crisis would be with the help of the International Monetary Fund instead of its European neighbors, it could be in for an unpleasant surprise.

AP - German airline Air Berlin Plc says its net loss for 2009 narrowed to euro9.5 million ($13 million) as it embarked on widespread cost savings and route reductions during the year.

AP - The euro is lower against the dollar ahead of a crucial EU meeting where a rescue package for Greece, likely with the help of the International Monetary Fund, is expected to be agreed.

China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has said it will expand its line-up of MG models built on platforms used by its Roewe models.

UK retail sales rose strongly between January and February, official figures show, following a sharp fall a month earlier.

Rail maintenance company Jarvis announces that it will go into administration after failing to secure credit.

Retailers Next and B&Q saw profits rise in 2009 on the back of robust consumer spending despite the recession.

AP - Retail sales in Britain rose 1.9 percent in February from January, leaving them 5 percent higher than a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.

AP - Asian stock markets floundered Thursday as worries about debt-saddled European countries and disappointing company earnings undermined sentiment. European shares traded modestly higher.

AP - Swiss insurer Zurich Financial on Thursday revised its annual net profit upward by $747 million, citing accounting changes related to hedging in the U.S. life insurance market.

AP - Dubai's government said Thursday it will pump up to $9.5 billion into its chief conglomerate Dubai World and a key subsidiary as part of a long-awaited restructuring plan to rescue it from crippling debt.

AFP - Dubai World proposed Thursday to repay its creditors in full by issuing two tranches of new debt maturing in five and eight years, after months of talks on restructuring sovereign liabilities that had rattled world markets.

AFP - Oil prices extended losses in Asian trade Thursday on US demand worries after a government inventory report showed a surge in crude stocks in the world's largest energy consumer, analysts said.

The government of Dubai will put up to $9.5 billion into Dubai World and a real estate development unit to help them restructure debt, Dubai World said Thursday.

The four employees of the British-Australian mining giant face five to 15 years in prison in a ruling that is being closely watched by foreign companies in China.

North Korea threatens 'extraordinary measures' unless South Korea lifts its ban on cross-border tours, an official says.

More than 40% of calls to HM Revenue and Customs last year went unanswered despite a drive to encourage phone queries.

AP - Better sales of notebook computers and flat-panel TVs helped Best Buy's fourth-quarter earnings rise 37 percent, the electronics retailer said Thursday.

AP - Stock futures are rising Thursday as the market appears set to resume its steady climb higher.

AP - Swiss President Doris Leuthard says her country is close to finalizing an agreement with Germany to exchange information on suspected tax cheats.

AP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is insisting that any European bailout for Greece be only a last resort and must involve the International Monetary Fund, rebuffing calls from EU officials and other euro nations to come up with a definite rescue plan at a Thursday summit of EU leaders.

AP - Strong sales of low-priced meals such as Banquet and Chef Boyardee and lower costs pushed ConAgra Foods Inc.'s third-quarter profit up 19 percent.

AP - Citigroup Inc. on Thursday became the latest lender to commit to the government's program to modify second mortgages.

AP - Ukraine's prime minister is expected to bargain for lower prices on natural gas imports and seek closer diplomatic ties when he meets with Russian premier Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

AFP - Toyota faces a first courtroom challenge Thursday when federal judges decide whether angry car owners can bring a multi-billion-dollar suit against the Japanese automaker.

BusinessWeek - The success or failure of President Barack Obama's sweeping overhaul of the American health-care system will be clear soon enough. The measure will be revised and amended in successive Congresses. If, over the next decade, it curbs costs and improves outcomes, health care will supersede any other possible legislative accomplishment as Obama's great legacy.

The European Central Bank said it would hold off tightening lending rules until 2011, a move that appeared to be designed to help Greek banks and send a signal to European leaders as they discuss aid.

Investors appear to be brushing off worries about European debt and the housing market that sent stocks lower Wednesday.

Claims fell by 14,000, but most of the drop resulted from a change in the calculations the Labor Department makes to seasonally adjust the data.

The Ministry of Defence announces plans to spend £127m on a new warship for the Royal Navy, the Type 26 combat ship.

China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has said it will expand its line-up of MG models built on platforms used by its Roewe models.

AP - Stocks rose in early trading Thursday after a new report showed initial jobless claims fell more than expected last week.

AP - Better sales of notebook computers and flat-panel TVs helped Best Buy's fourth-quarter earnings rise 37 percent, the electronics retailer said Thursday.

AP - Spain and Greece called on the European Union to use an existing euro50 billion ($67 billion) bailout fund to offer cheap loans to Greece or other struggling eurozone governments.

AP - Deutsche Bahn AG saw its 2009 net income fell to euro830 million ($1.1 billion) as passenger and freight levels declined in the downturn, the German rail operator said Thursday.

AP - The Obama administration is enacting protections to ensure homeowners are treated consistently under its mortgage relief program after complaints from consumer advocates.

AFP - Chancellor Angela Merkel stuck to her hardline position on Greece ahead of a crunch EU summit starting Thursday, saying she refused to violate 'the trust' of the German people in the euro.

Reuters - The Treasury is committed to spending the full $50 billion in bailout funds it budgeted for mortgage modifications but will consider changes to make the program more effective, a senior Treasury official said on Thursday.

AFP - Oil prices clawed back some lost ground on Thursday, rebounding from steep losses the previous day as the dollar weakened after hitting a 10-month high against the euro, traders said.

Greece and Dubai moved closer to resolving their debt burdens, and the latest report on United States jobless filings beat expectations.

Dubai moved to recapitalize two companies at the heart of a meltdown that shook markets last fall, saying that it would inject up to $9.5 billion into Dubai World.

The Ministry of Defence announces plans to spend £127m on a new warship for the Royal Navy, the Type 26 combat ship.

The number of homes sold in the UK rose in February, HM Revenue & Customs says

Government spending must fall by £46bn by 2015 to meet its borrowing targets, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) says.

The Independent newspaper is sold to Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev, owner of the Evening Standard.

AP - Stocks resumed their climb Thursday after upbeat forecasts from Best Buy and Qualcomm boosted expectations for the economy.

AP - Toyota has named a top executive at its U.S. manufacturing operations to head a North American quality task force as the automaker aims to beef up quality controls following millions of vehicle recalls.

AP - Deere & Co. said Thursday that changes to the health care law signed into law this week will raise related costs this year by $150 million.

Reuters - Wireless chip maker Qualcomm Inc. raised its sales and earnings forecasts for the second quarter, sending its shares about 9 percent higher in early stock market trade on Thursday.

AP - Diplomats say France and Germany are backing a eurozone and International Monetary Fund bailout program for Greece and other troubled members of Europe's currency union.

AP - A government watchdog on Thursday strongly criticized the Obama administration's loan assistance effort, saying the government rushed the program's creation last year and set up hundreds of thousands of homeowners for failure.

AFP - Ukraine's new Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Thursday called for a fresh start in ties with Moscow as he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks aimed at winning lower gas prices.

Leaders are engaged in a bitter struggle over whether to allow the renminbi to rise against the dollar or to escalate a war of words with the U.S. over currency values.

The plan for intervention, if needed, would use money from the International Monetary Fund and bilateral loans from the 16 countries that use the euro.

Households that are at least 90 days delinquent on their mortgage payment now number at least 1.6 million, a new report says.

Google has stopped censoring results on its Chinese search engine, but many underlying pages are still blocked. Meanwhile, some Chinese say Google risks a government shutdown of its service, which would deprive them of its benefits on all topics.

The Russian tycoon Alexander Lebedev will pay a token amount for The Independent and The Independent on Sunday.

France and Germany reach a deal on a financing plan to help debt-laden Greece, which will include IMF help.

UK political parties draw up their election battle lines around the economy, after Chancellor Alistair Darling unveiled his Budget.

Ninety-five employment relations experts write a letter accusing British Airways boss Willie Walsh of union-busting.

Chancellor Angela Merkel tells German MPs she will insist the IMF is involved if debt-ridden Greece needs to be bailed out.

AP - The Brazilian Central Bank signaled Thursday that a hike in the nation's benchmark interest rate is likely in the next month to stem inflation.

AP - Satish Sawant was proudly driving his first car home from the showroom: A brand-new silver Tata Nano, draped with a celebratory garland of marigolds.

Reuters - The leaders of Germany and France clinched agreement on a joint European-IMF financial safety net for debt-stricken Greece just before an EU summit on Thursday, the French president's office said.

AP - The futures contract for natural gas tumbled 4 percent Thursday after the government reported that supplies grew for the first time this year, adding to already bloated reserves.

AFP - Toyota was Thursday to face a first US courtroom challenge as lawyers press for angry car owners to be able to bring a multi-billion-dollar suit against the Japanese automaker.

Leaders are engaged in a bitter struggle over whether to allow the renminbi to rise against the dollar or to escalate a war of words with the U.S.

The case for more ? and more nuanced ? regulation.

The European Union and the United States agreed Thursday to expand a three-year old accord that allows airlines to operate more freely across the Atlantic.

The latest Open Skies talks on EU-US aviation paves the way for the lifting of restrictions on foreign ownership of US and EU airlines.

The Ministry of Defence announces plans to spend £127m on a new warship for the Royal Navy, the Type 26 combat ship.

AP - Renewed concern about Greece's debt problems short circuited big stock rally.

Reuters - A bipartisan group of Senators on Thursday proposed legislation that would expand tax breaks for investors swindled in Ponzi schemes such as those run by Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford.

Reuters - The leaders of Germany and France clinched a deal on a joint European-IMF financial safety net for debt-stricken Greece at a EU summit on Thursday, in an effort to restore confidence in the euro.

AP - The futures contract for natural gas tumbled 3 percent Thursday after the government reported that supplies grew for the first time this year, adding to already bloated reserves.

AP - General Motors Corp. said Thursday that it will make another $1.2 billion loan repayment to the U.S. and Canadian governments by the end of this month.

An energetic rally that brought the Dow Jones industrial average within a short sprint of the 11,000 mark on Thursday had largely evaporated by day?s end.

The computer hacker pleaded guilty last year to breaking into computer systems of major retailers, including TJX Companies and BJ?s Wholesale Club.

The business software maker absorbed Sun Microsystems in the quarter with its heavy expenses for building and supporting computer servers.

The electronics retailer raised its forecast for the year, saying it expected higher sales of notebook computers, cellphones and flat-screen televisions.

AP - The health care overhaul will cost U.S. companies as much as $14 billion this year and make them more likely to drop prescription drug coverage for retirees because of a change in how the government subsidizes those benefits.

AP - The nation's banks suddenly find themselves under pressure to throw greater lifelines to their most troubled mortgage borrowers. But don't expect every struggling borrower to get a bailout.

AP - Synnex Corp. said Thursday that its fiscal first-quarter profit jumped, helped by a large gain from discontinued operations and revenue growth the company attributed to an accounting change.

Reuters - Euro zone leaders agreed on a joint European-IMF financial safety net for debt-stricken Greece on Thursday after weeks of wrangling, hoping to restore confidence in their common currency.

Reuters - Delinquencies on mortgages rose to nearly 14 percent in late 2009, led by a sharp increase in seriously overdue home loans held by the most credit-worthy borrowers, U.S. banking regulators said on Thursday.

Reuters - A top Obama administration official on Thursday defended a $75 billion Treasury effort to help struggling homeowners avert foreclosure even as some lawmakers called it a failure.

The Obama administration plans to announce new initiatives that will expand the amount of assistance available to homeowners who are behind on their mortgage or owe more than their house is worth.

The Federal Reserve chairman hinted the central bank might sell part of its large portfolio of mortgage-backed securities when the time comes to start tightening credit.

The delivery of medical care is changing as more young physicians take jobs with heath systems and older doctors sell their practices to those same systems.

The agency is seeking to ensure that the risks of derivatives are being fully disclosed to investors.

The Republican leader?s letter to the Treasury suggested the line his party would pursue when the Senate takes up the bill.

Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty last year to breaking into systems of major retailers, including TJX Companies and BJ?s Wholesale Club.

The Russian tycoon Alexander Lebedev will pay a token amount for The Independent and The Independent on Sunday.

Brady Dougan?s pay included 17.9 million Swiss francs in bonuses and a fixed salary of 1.25 million Swiss francs, the bank said.

ConAgra?s consumer foods segment showed 3 percent volume growth, helped by sales of products like Banquet frozen dinners and Chef Boyardee pasta.

In ?Sarah Palin?s Alaska,? an eight-episode travelogue on the TLC cable channel, the former governor will explore the 49th state.

Camelot, the owner of the National Lottery, has been sold to a Canadian teachers' pension fund for £389m.

Lawyers for Toyota and those suing the firm over alleged accelerator pedal problems want 200 claims to be heard together.

Google short-term won't miss China - but what then?

...is not so plain - private air travel is soaring

How to help when you're too poor for school?

Does the internet reinforce prejudices?

Reuters - The White House plans to announce on Friday it will require lenders to lower the mortgage payments of some unemployed workers and encourage lenders to knock off some principal debt of homeowners who owe more than their home is worth, sources familiar with the plan said on Thursday.

The plan for intervention, if needed, would use money from the International Monetary Fund and bilateral loans from the 16 countries that use the euro.

Leaders are engaged in a bitter struggle over whether to allow the renminbi to rise against the dollar or to escalate a war of words with the U.S.

Dubai will inject $9.5 billion to keep two companies that symbolized the emirate?s lavish spending from failing and defaulting on their debts.

The California dairy industry?s new way to promote milk involves a fantasy world where there is too much of the drink.

The market-driven system was the preferred policy for tackling climate change a year ago, but now it is in wide disrepute.

BRUSSELS ? The European Union and the United States agreed Thursday to expand a three-year old accord that allows airlines to operate more freely across the Atlantic.

Prosecutors say a man manufactured counterfeit weight-loss drugs, including a fake version of Alli.

The official figure in February was 10.2 percent, down from 10.4 percent in January.

A class-action lawsuit that claims that the financial services and media company has engaged in discriminatory conduct may go to trial next year.

Higher rates were approved by the New York State Public Service Commission.

Wisconsin?s insurance regulator is offering an example of what might have been done with A.I.G.

AP - Gov. Tim Pawlenty and most Minnesota lawmakers want a bill that would spark investment and jobs in startup companies, historic buildings and the Mall of America expansion — but they're hung up on how to pay for it.

Reuters - Major oil companies were calling on three U.S. senators struggling over a compromise climate bill to provide new breaks for natural gas drilling as the lawmakers said the legislation might not be unveiled until at least the end of April.

The Obama administration plans to announce a broad initiative to provide more assistance to homeowners who are behind on their mortgage or owe more than their house is worth.

But most Asian stocks fall because the Greece plan did not extinguish fears about other vulnerable economies in Europe.

Congressional auditors posing as companies found it easy to win the official stamp of approval for energy-saving products.

AP - Asian markets were mixed in early trading Friday after renewed worries about Greece's debt problems led to a disappointing finish on Wall Street.

AFP - Jean-Claude Trichet, the head of the European Central Bank, hailed an EU plan to offer financial relief to Greece jointly with the IMF, as both 'workable' and 'courageous'.

Reuters - World Trade Organization members will continue to seek a deal in the long-running Doha round despite big gaps in positions, but no agreement is likely this year, trade diplomats and officials said on Thursday.