Congressional Democrats are urging a modest six-week cut in the number of weeks that unemployed workers can receive jobless benefits as House-Senate talks on a payroll tax cut slowly inch along.

Two top Ford executives who helped lead Ford's comeback from financial disaster are retiring, but CEO Alan Mulally says he has no plans to leave.

Wholesale businesses increased their stockpiles sharply in December although the gains are expected to slow in coming months, a development that could curb overall economic growth.

PepsiCo said it plans to cut 8,700 jobs, or about 3 percent of its workforce, as it tries to offset higher costs for ingredients and increased spending on advertising in North America.

Rupert Murdoch's News International has succeeded in settling nearly all the cases in the first wave of lawsuits against it for phone hacking, with a new round of apologies and payouts announced in a London court Wednesday.

Nokia Corp. plans to stop assembling cellphones in Europe by year-end as it shifts production to Asia and will cut another 4,000 jobs, its latest attempts to cushion itself from stiff competition in the smartphone sector.

The Lorax, perhaps the most famous anti-industrial crusader from children's literature, is about to become a big-time corporate spokesman.

Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain will buy a new Boeing C-17 military aircraft to help move troops around.

Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock and three longtime board members are stepping down, fulfilling the wishes of many frustrated shareholders who believe the directors have been part of the problem that has dragged down the Internet company's revenue and stock price.

Americans accelerated their borrowing in December for the second straight month, running up more credit card debt and taking out loans to buy cars and attend school.

The number of available jobs in the United States jumped in December to near a three-year high, supporting other data that show a brighter outlook for hiring.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to help its customers figure that out by adding a new green icon that reads "Great for You" to packaging of some of its house-brand foods.

Anglo-Swiss mining group Xstrata PLC announced plans Tuesday to merge with commodities trading giant Glencore International PLC in a deal that will create the world's fourth largest natural resources group.