New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday he would create a so-called Wage Board, a move apparently designed to allow him to raise the minimum wage without the approval of state lawmakers.

Emmeryville, a small city in the San Francisco Bay Area, has given initial approval to the nation's highest minimum wage by setting baseline pay at $16 an hour in 2019, with gradual increases leading up to that level.

World financial markets were unsettled again on Thursday as a week-long sell-off in benchmark government bonds, stocks and the dollar, and a race up in oil prices, was compounded by UK election uncertainty.

The Federal Reserve is sketching out plans to prevent an abrupt contraction in its massive balance sheet next year, when some $500 billion in bonds expire and risk disrupting markets and the U.S. economic recovery.

Hong Kong's financial watchdog is set to finalize new rules on so-called "dark pools" within the next few days, a source familiar with the regulator's thinking said on Thursday.

Euro zone retail sales were weaker than expected in March, data showed on Wednesday, turning negative on a monthly basis for the first time since last September.

Many issues remain unsolved between Greece and its lenders and agreement at next Monday's Eurogroup meeting of euro zone finance ministers is now not possible, Eurogroup chair Jeroen Dijsselbloem said.

China's leaders, caught off guard by a sharp economic slowdown and worried about the risk of job losses, are likely to resort to fiscal stimulus to revive growth after a run of monetary policy easings proved less effective, policy insiders said.

The U.S. government said on Wednesday it will start keeping more cash on hand for when it can't tap debt markets, a measure that could help it pay bills during a natural disaster or a cyber attack.

U.S. stocks ended weaker on Wednesday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen warned of high valuations, adding to anxiety about future interest rates and a global bond rout.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Wednesday said high equity valuations could pose potential dangers but that stability risks across the U.S. financial system remained in check.

Rupert Murdoch-controlled Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOXA.O) reported a 1.2 percent rise in quarterly adjusted revenue, helped by growth in its cable network business and the box office success of "Taken 3" and "Kingsman: The Secret Service".

Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) Wednesday reported a wider first-quarter net loss, but outperformed expectations and stuck to key milestones for the year ahead despite pressure on margins.

U.S. private employers added 169,000 jobs last month, the fewest since January 2014 and far below economists' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

Euro zone businesses started the second quarter with healthy growth as a buoyant order book again encouraged them to hire more, a survey showed on Wednesday.

A worldwide sell-off in government bonds deepened on Wednesday, with the rise in long-term borrowing costs to their highest level this year spreading unease across all assets and putting stock markets under pressure too.

Greece's euro zone partners are not discussing the prospect of the country leaving the currency union and might offer concessions to Athens' original bailout program, Portugal's finance minister said on Tuesday.

China has put in place rules to protect private investors and expand opportunities in infrastructure and utility projects, the country's top planning agency said on Tuesday, as the government seeks help revitalizing a stuttering economy.

Oil prices hit their highest for the year on Tuesday, aided by a disruption in Libyan crude exports, higher selling prices for Saudi oil and a weaker dollar that tends to inflate commodity prices.

A surge in imports lifted the U.S. trade deficit in March to its highest level in nearly 6-1/2 years, suggesting the economy contracted in the first quarter.

Shares of Salesforce.com Inc (CRM.N) jumped 6.2 percent in late afternoon trading on Tuesday, after Bloomberg reported that Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is evaluating a bid for the cloud software provider.

U.S. stocks finished sharply lower on Tuesday after a surprisingly wide March U.S. trade deficit raised concerns that the economy shrank in the first quarter.

French gas and power group GDF Suez (GSZ.PA) is interested in some of the activities of nuclear firm Areva (AREVA.PA), a spokesman for the company said on Monday.

Italy's Exor (EXOR.MI) said on Monday it remained fully committed to its $6.4 billion offer for PartnerRe (PRE.N) after the Bermuda-based reinsurer rejected its attempt to trump a bid by Axis Capital Holdings (AXS.N).

KKR & Co LP (KKR.N) said it would merge some of its private equity industry teams in the United States after two more of its leaders stepped down, and as it prepares the ground for raising its next flagship North American buyout fund.

New orders for U.S. factory goods recorded their biggest increase in eight months in March, boosted by demand for transportation equipment, but the underlying trend remained weak against the backdrop of a strong dollar.

Cisco Systems Inc Chief Executive John Chambers will step down in July after 20 years at the helm of the network equipment maker, a symbol of the dot.com stock boom 15 years ago now struggling to boost its bottom line in the era of cloud computing.

Wall Street ended higher on Monday as corporate earnings came in better than feared, although shares of McDonald's declined after the fast-food chain's turnaround plan left investors wanting more.

The Pimco Total Return Fund, launched by Bill Gross, has lost its title as the world's biggest bond mutual fund, following two years of withdrawals.

Greece intends to meet debt payments this month and reach a deal with its international lenders to unlock remaining bailout aid, but the International Monetary Fund insists on tough labor reforms, the country's labor minister said on Monday.