U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with both the Dow and S&P 500 ending at records, as data pointed to improving conditions in the U.S. services sector, boosting cyclical stocks.
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Microsoft ex-CEO Ballmer, activist Jesse Jackson pep up annual meet
Former Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson livened up the technology company's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, grabbing the spotlight from the current leaders on stage.
Luxottica signs deal with Intel to develop hi-tech glasses
Italy's Luxottica is joining forces with U.S. chipmaker Intel Corp to develop glasses that combine its top fashion brands with technology that could allow wearers to access information about their health or location.
Google to introduce child-friendly versions of products
Google Inc plans to roll out child-friendly versions of its most popular products in a bid to be "fun and safe for children", USA Today reported, quoting Pavni Diwanji, the company's vice president of engineering.
U.S. CEOs say having hard time finding workers with right skills
Most chief executive officers at U.S. corporations report significant problems in finding workers with the skills they need, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
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Australian GDP sank to 0.3 percent in the third quarter, significantly below analysts’ expectation of 0.7 percent, Australian Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday. In the second quarter, GDP grew by 0.5 percent. In the fourth quarter, the RBA is expecting the annual growth to ease to 2.5 percent and will probably be around 2.5% to 2.75%.
Germany's cabinet on Wednesday agreed plans to cut CO2 emissions by up to 78 million tonnes by 2020, pushing operators to shut some coal-fired plants, to help Europe's biggest economy meet bold targets to fight climate change, government sources said.
The euro zone economy may face another contraction after business activity grew less than expected in November despite heavy discounting, surveys on Wednesday showed, although Asian readings were more upbeat.
A compromise defense policy bill in Congress would bar the purchase of more Russian-made rocket engines to launch U.S. military satellites, clearing the way for competitive bids for 14 future launches, senior congressional aides said on Tuesday.
Plunging oil prices sparked a drop of almost 40 percent in new well permits issued across the United States in November, in a sudden pause in the growth of the U.S. shale oil and gas boom that started around 2007.
Heavy discounting failed to stop euro zone business activity growing less than thought last month, a survey showed on Wednesday, suggesting the bloc's economy may contract again early next year.
Brent rose to $71 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering some of its losses from the previous session as a turbulent market searched for a price floor after a nearly 40 percent fall since June.
Japan's auto recall enforcement division, whose 16 members work from a cramped office on the eighth floor of the transport ministry building in Tokyo, only found out about safety issues with Takata Corp air bags in late-2008 - more than three years after the company says it first learned of problems.
Canadian buyout firm Onex Corp (OCX.TO) is in talks to buy a UK safety and survival equipment maker from Warburg Pincus LLC [WP.UL] for about 450 million pounds ($704 million), Bloomberg reported, citing three people with knowledge of the discussions.
