AFP - Top US envoy Richard Holbrooke travelled to Pakistan's financial hub Karachi on Wednesday for talks on economic assistance, a key plank of Washington's new strategy to fight Islamist militancy here.

AFP - US President Barack Obama's new ambassador to Japan, John Roos, arrived in the country on Wednesday, praising the strong ties between the world's two largest economies.

AP - Bailed-out banks were scrambling to comply with executive compensation rules months before the regulations were finalized, according to an inspector general report released Wednesday.

AP - A new survey by Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch showed optimism among portfolio managers about the chances for global economic recovery rising to their highest level in nearly six years.

AP - Now that the worst of the economic crisis is past and recovery is slowly under way, Congress must halt the mounting increase in U.S. debt to avoid damage to long-term growth and destruction of the dollar, Warren Buffett is urging.

AFP - A coalition of US environmental groups and major labor unions on Wednesday unveiled a national campaign to refute charges that legislation to battle climate change would cost US jobs in a recession.

AFP - Top US envoy Richard Holbrooke vowed Wednesday to help Pakistan deal with its crushing energy crisis and provide economic assistance, a key part of Washington's strategy to fight Islamist militancy.

AFP - The euro turned firmer against the dollar as nervousness over the economic outlook was eased by a supportive US energy report which suggested demand was better than expected.

AP - A key federal regulator is asking lawmakers to tighten legislation imposing broad new oversight on derivatives by going beyond the Obama administration's proposal in several areas governing the complex financial instruments blamed for hastening the global economic crisis.

AP - Michigan's monthly unemployment rate has dropped for the first time in more than a year.