U.S. Economy

US stocks fell Thursday, hit by uncertainty over the Cyprus banking crisis and some surprisingly weak corporate earnings.

New claims for US unemployment benefits rose slightly last week but remained near their lowest level in five years, government data released Thursday showed.

Asian markets were mixed Thursday as Chinese data showing manufacturing activity in the world's number two economy picked up in March, while Tokyo was lifted by renewed weakness in the yen.

Cypriot leaders are to decide on Thursday on a newly drawn up plan aimed at securing a bailout for the near-bankrupt eurozone member, after parliament rejected a controversial tax on savings.

President Barack Obama notified Congress Wednesday that it would launch trade talks with the European Union aimed at forging the world's largest free-trade area.

US stocks recorded solid gains Wednesday as the Federal Reserve held steady on its policy of economic stimulus.

The Federal Reserve kept its easy monetary policies in place Wednesday, saying high unemployment and the government's sharp spending cuts remain barriers to full recovery from the 2008 crash.

Cyprus ordered banks to stay shut for another five days as ministers scrambled Wednesday to draw up a Plan B aimed at securing a bailout after parliament rejected a controversial tax on savings.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Wednesday that broad-based US government spending cuts could curb the economic and jobs recovery.

The Federal Reserve kept its monetary easing policies in place Wednesday as it trimmed its 2013 and 2014 economic growth forecasts for the US economy.

Most European stock markets rebounded on Wednesday following two days of losses caused by Cyprus' bailout drama.

China's Suntech reached its zenith as the world's largest solar panel producer, but has plunged to the nadir of financial distress in just a year, highlighting the woes of the industry it shaped.

Asian markets were mixed on Wednesday after Cypriot lawmakers comprehensively rejected a plan to tax savings as part of a crucial bailout deal.

The euro sank 0.5 percent Tuesday as Cyprus threw its EU-IMF bailout in question when legislators rejected a controversial bank deposit tax meant to raise funds for the government.

US stocks closed mixed Tuesday, holding on as the Cyprus financial crisis threatened to ignite more turmoil across the European financial system.

Beijing lashed out Tuesday at a US court that ordered two Chinese pharmaceutical companies to pay $162 million for price-fixing in the US market, saying the ruling infringed its sovereignty.

Construction of new US homes edged higher in February after a plunge in January, government data showed Tuesday in a report underscoring the recovery in the housing market.

Beijing and Washington have "enormous shared interests", China's new President Xi Jinping told the US Treasury chief on Tuesday in his first major diplomatic meeting since taking office.

The Federal Reserve looked set to keep its loose monetary policy in place this week as a shock Cyprus plan to seize bank deposits stoked fears of a reigniting eurozone banking crisis.

US President Barack Obama on Monday named Tom Perez, the head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, to the post of labor secretary.