British MPs to grill BP CEO Hayward (Reuters)

Reuters - British Members of Parliament (MPs) will next week grill outgoing BP Plc Chief Executive Tony Hayward, as part of an investigation into risks around deepwater drilling in the North Sea.

Bank of England holds rates at 0.5 percent (Reuters)

Reuters - The Bank of England kept interest rates at 0.5 percent for the 18th month in a row and announced no new quantitative easing purchases, in a widely expected decision on Thursday.

Stock futures edge up ahead of jobless claims (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock index futures rose for a sixth day in seven on Thursday ahead of weekly data that was expected to show a tick down in applications for unemployment insurance.

Suicide attack in Russia kills 15, wounds over 130 (AP)

AP - A suicide car bomber hit the central market of a major city in Russia's North Caucasus on Thursday, killing at least 15 and wounding more than 130 people in one of the worst terror attacks in the volatile region in years, officials said.

SKorea indicts pastor over illegal trip to NKorea (AP)

AP - A news report says South Korean authorities have indicted a Christian activist who made an unapproved visit to North Korea.

British watchdog hits Goldman Sachs with Â£17.5 mln fine (AFP)

AFP - A British watchdog hit the iconic but controversial Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs with a huge fine of 17.5 million pounds on Thursday, for information failures tied to US fraud charges.

Struggling Spain OKs labor market reforms (AP)

AP - Spain gave final approval Thursday to labor market reforms designed to shake up a listless economy and help slash a bloated deficit that has prompted European-wide worries of another Greek-style debt crisis.

Oil prices rise before US inventory data (AFP)

AFP - Oil prices rose slightly on Thursday as the market awaited key inventory data from the United States -- the world's biggest consumer of energy.

US Marines take back pirate-held ship off Somalia (AP)

AP - The U.S. Navy says Marine commandos have reclaimed control of a pirate-held vessel off the Somalia coast and taken nine prisoners.

Fidel latest to say Cuba's communism doesn't work (AP)

AP - Cuba's communist economic model has come in for criticism from an unlikely source: Fidel Castro.

Dynasty speculation on North Korea's founding day (AP)

AP - North Korea celebrated its 62nd anniversary Thursday with odes to supreme leader Kim Jong Il and pilgrimages to his late father's statue amid hints that a political meeting believed aimed at promoting his son as successor is imminent.

A Fashion Week Model's Secret: Sensible Shoes (Time.com)

Time.com - On the eve of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the hottest event on New YorkCity's couture calendar, TIME takes a look inside the grueling auditionprocess for hundreds of high-fashion hopefuls

4 Iraqis escape from US custody in Baghdad prison (AP)

AP - Four prisoners with links to al-Qaida have escaped from the U.S.-controlled part of a maximum-security prison in Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday.

China's Great (Quantum) Leap Forward (Time.com)

Time.com - While China has been showing off its new hardware, a potentially more important military advancement has gone largely unnoticed -- a major breakthrough in quantum teleportation

UK watchdog fines Goldman Sachs $27 million (Reuters)

Reuters - Britain's financial watchdog slapped a 17.5 million pounds ($27 million) fine on Goldman Sachs on Thursday for inadequate disclosure of a U.S. probe into the Wall Street powerhouse.

Murders fall by 8.6% in South Africa (AFP)

AFP - Violent crime declined last year in South Africa, the police minister said Thursday, with murders down 8.6 percent to under 17,000, in one of the world's most violent countries.

Australian regulators reject NAB bid for AXA Asia Pacific (AFP)

AFP - Australian regulators rejected National Australia Bank's 12.2 billion US dollar bid for financial firm AXA Asia Pacific on competition concerns Thursday, in a move welcomed by rival suitor AMP.

India car sales hit all-time high in August (AP)

AP - Car sales in India surged to a record for a second straight month in August on strong demand before the holiday season, despite rising prices and supply constraints.

Bank of Korea keeps interest rate near record low (AP)

AP - South Korea's central bank left its key interest rate near a record low Thursday for a second straight month as the risk of slowing global growth outweighed a buoyant outlook for the local economy.

3rd Mexican mayor in month slain by hit men (AP)

AP - The third Mexican mayor in a month was slain by suspected drug gang hitmen on the same day the U.S. secretary of state raised hackles in Mexico by saying the country is "looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago."

Obama firm, won't yield on tax hike for wealthiest (AP)

AP - Politically weakened but refusing to bend, President Barack Obama insisted Wednesday that Bush-era tax cuts be cut off for the wealthiest Americans, joining battle with Republicans — and some fellow Democrats — just two months before bruising midterm elections.

Economists cut U.S. growth forecast again (Reuters)

Reuters - Projected U.S. economic growth for the rest of this year and next was revised down for a third month in a row by a panel of about 50 economists.

FDIC's Bair warns of government "exposure" in mortgages (Reuters)

Reuters - A key U.S. banking regulator raised concern on Wednesday about the risk of "exposure" the government is taking on in the mortgage market and urged more stringent standards for underwriting mortgages.

Chavez: Foes sabotaging Venezuela's power grid (AP)

AP - President Hugo Chavez accused his political adversaries Wednesday of sabotaging Venezuela's electricity grid as part of a campaign to chip away at his popularity before legislative elections in two weeks.

Clinton: Florida church's planned Koran burning doesn't reflect U.S. (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — With concerns growing about hostile or even violent international reaction to a Florida pastor's plans to burn the Koran on Saturday, the Obama administration is stepping up its efforts to mitigate the damage.

Spartech posts fiscal 3Q loss, misses expectations (AP)

AP - Plastic sheet and packaging maker Spartech Corp. reported a net loss for its fiscal third quarter on Wednesday and said that despite higher revenue, the overall market recover is slower than expected.

Obama sees Democratic pain if vote hinges on economy (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that Democrats risked punishment in November's congressional elections if they allow the vote to be just about the U.S. economy, rather than the two parties' policies.

Germany considers scrapping the draft (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - The young man playing with kids at the Main Krokodile preschool here isn't your typical caregiver. He's among the tens of thousands of Germans who fulfill their military service by working with children, the elderly, or the disabled. The head of the school, Berndt NiedergesÃ¤ss, is all for it: "The children love dealing with men," he says.

Coffee hits 13-year high; retail prices also up (AP)

AP - Coffee prices hit a 13-year high Wednesday, extending a rally that has sent prices up about 43 percent in the past three months.

Bankers urge government to pull plug on Fannie, Freddie (Reuters)

Reuters - The federal government should take mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac off life support sooner rather than later, the Mortgage Bankers Association urged on Wednesday.

Conservatives see poll lead evaporate (Reuters)

Reuters - The Conservative government has seen its lead over the main opposition Liberals evaporate in public opinion polls following recent controversies and the two parties are now running neck and neck, though an election is not seen in the near term.

Wall Street up as fears for European economy ease (AFP)

AFP - US stocks were slightly up on Wednesday after news of a successful Portuguese debt auction eased the previous day's concerns about the European economy.

Banging a Drum for the MDG Summit (OneWorld.net)

OneWorld.net - NEW YORK, Sep 7 (IRIN) - Activists are pulling out all the stops ahead of a development summit at UN headquarters on 20-22 September. Pro-aid and anti-poverty lobbyists are trying everything from giant letters to banging pans to raise awareness of the high-level event.

The Treasury's New Research Office (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - Don't expect an Elizabeth Warren-style campaign for the first director of the Office of Financial Research, yet another agency set up under the financial system overhaul. Unlike the pending decision over who will lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has prompted online petitions and a viral rap video in support of the Harvard law professor, the competition over who will be the head of the research office is a wonks-only affair. ...