Top officials warned policymakers on Wednesday to avoid hurting global efforts to toughen up financial regulation as differences emerge over derivatives speculation, hedge funds and bank capital. Read more »

Stocks rose to a fresh 17-month high on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and maintained its pledge to keep them low for an extended period. Read more »

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week, indicating a sluggish return to jobs growth. The U.S. trade gap shrank as oil imports fell. Read more »

World oil prices surged Wednesday after news that fuel stockpiles in the United States slumped last week, indicating strengthening demand in the world's top energy consumer. Read more »

German luxury car maker Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen, said Tuesday it aimed to sell more than one million autos this year and reach a pre-crisis record set in 2008. Read more »

U.S. stocks were nearly flat on Monday as upbeat sentiment from AIG's sale of a unit and McDonald's sales data were offset by falling healthcare shares after President Barack Obama's criticism of health insurers. Read more »

Toyota Motor Corp has not adequately supported its contention that it has rigorously evaluated electronic throttle systems for possible problems, lawmakers said on Friday. Read more »

U.S. retailers in February posted their best monthly sales performance since just before the recession started in 2007, as lean inventories meant they did not need to resort to steep discounts. Read more »

U.S. stocks lost gains and were trading little changed on Wednesday as the White House stepped up its efforts to overhaul healthcare and bank regulation, sparking concerns about the potential impact on profits in those sectors. Read more »

Iraq's oil exports reached their highest level in February since Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in two decades, oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told AFP on Tuesday. Read more »