Greece failed again to clinch a deal with its international creditors on Thursday, setting up a last-ditch effort on Saturday to either avert a default next week or start preparing to protect the euro zone from financial market turmoil.

Canada must join a proposed Pacific trade pact but will strive to protect farmers, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday, referring to foreign pressure to scrap tariffs that protect the dairy industry.

Two big trades in oil options worth nearly $60 million last week boosted volatility in that market and revived speculation among traders that U.S. producers are placing hedges to guard against another price rout this fall.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) is a long way from making any offer to the shareholders of U.S. rival General Motors (GM.N) over a possible tie-up, FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Wednesday.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's financial affiliate launched on Thursday Internet bank MYbank, targeting the small- and medium-sized Chinese enterprises that have struggled to obtain credit from major financial institutions.

With the annual rebalance of the Russell stock indexes just a day away, brokerage firms are shaving the discounts they typically offer to big index funds on what is usually one of the biggest trading days of the year.

Oil prices were steady on Thursday as an unexpected build in U.S. gasoline inventories offset a higher than forecast draw in crude stocks.

Persistent concerns of Greece leaving the euro weighed on European stocks on Thursday, with the lack of progress in negotiations on a cash-for-reform deal for Athens pushing investors towards safe-haven German Bunds.

Cree Inc said it would reduce manufacturing capacity at its light-emitting diode factory, as it struggles with a decline in prices, and take an $85 million restructuring charge.

The family businesses that make up the global diamond trade have seen their profits wiped out over the past five years, hit by shaky financing, increased costs and uncertain demand from customers who prefer hi-tech gadgets to bling.

U.S. lawmakers approved legislation key to securing a hallmark Pacific trade deal by a comfortable margin on Wednesday, advancing President Barack Obama's efforts to strengthen U.S. economic ties with Asia.

The United States and China urged each other on Wednesday to remove barriers to foreign investment, saying that business ties were vital to overall relations, although they appeared to achieve little beyond rhetoric at a high profile three-day meeting that was overshadowed by security rivalries.

Plans by Brazil's Petrobras to sell its stake in ethanol and sugar producer Guarani SA have hit a snag as the state-run oil company has not been offered enough money for the asset, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

JPMorgan (JPM.N) has hired Arkadi Nachimowski from Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) to head its chemicals team in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), according to a memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Finnish utility Fortum (FUM1V.HE) said on Wednesday it has failed so far to reach a deal with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and Rosatom on assets swap in Russia to allow it to take stakes in Fennovoima nuclear power plant project.

Sentiment at some of Asia's biggest firms has deteriorated as a slowing Chinese economy, Greek sovereign debt crisis and looming U.S. interest rate hike create deepening concern about the state of the world economy, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey showed.

Wal-Mart Stores will begin charging fees to almost all vendors for stocking their items in new stores and for warehousing inventory, raising pressure on suppliers as the world’s largest retailer battles higher costs from wage hikes.

Google Inc launched a free version of its music streaming service on Tuesday, as it sought to upstage the debut of Apple Inc's rival service next week.

British private equity firm Charterhouse [CHCAP.UL] is working with JP Morgan (JPM.N) on options for healthcare company Tunstall, in a deal which could value the company at up to 700 million pounds ($1.1 billion), a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks ended with slight gains on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq eking out another record close while investors continued to await clarity on whether Greece could reach a deal to prevent defaulting on its loans.

Boeing Co (BA.N) on Tuesday named Dennis Muilenburg as chief executive officer, effective July 1, succeeding Jim McNerney.

As the big global banks and investment houses see it, almost every outcome of Greece's stand-off with its creditors leads to a weaker euro. So why isn't the single currency falling?

Private equity firm Lone Star Funds said it had agreed to buy real estate investment trust (REIT) Home Properties Inc (HME.N) for about $7.6 billion, including debt.

It could soon pay more to write lengthier books, if you are an author self-publishing on Amazon.com Inc's Kindle ebook platform.

Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT.N) will lay off another 50 workers at its East Peoria, Illinois campus on Monday because of a downturn in demand for mining equipment, the company said.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday, with the Nasdaq closing at a record as hopes grew that a deal would be reached to prevent Greece from defaulting on loans.

Oil prices rose above $63 a barrel on Monday in response to new proposals from Greece that the European Union welcomed as a basis for progress at talks to try to stave off a default that could cause turmoil in financial markets.

The Bank of Japan said it expects factory output to fall for the first time in three quarters in April-June on weak Asian demand, underscoring the fragile nature of the economic recovery.

Surging investment by Chinese companies in U.S. research labs is yielding a fast-growing trove of patents, part of a push to mine America for ideas to help China shift from being the world's factory floor to a driver of innovation.

German business leaders urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to take a tough line with Greece at an emergency summit of euro zone leaders later on Monday, saying only reform concessions from Athens could keep the country in the euro zone.