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Fed holds rates steady in nod to global economic weakness | Reuters

WASHINGTON The U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday in a nod to concerns about a weak world economy, but left open the possibility of a modest policy tightening later this year

OPEC sees oil prices returning to $80/barrel by 2020 | Reuters

REUTERS - OPEC forecasts oil prices will grow by no more than $5 per barrel a year to reach $80 by 2020, with rival non-OPEC production growth slowing but not fast enough to fully clear the current oil glut, according to OPEC sources.

OPEC sees oil prices returning to $80/barrel by 2020 | Reuters

REUTERS - OPEC forecasts oil prices will grow by no more than $5 per barrel a year to reach $80 by 2020, with rival non-OPEC production growth slowing but not fast enough to fully clear the current oil glut, according to OPEC sources. The sources said the figures came from an updated mid-term strategy report discussed this week by the representatives from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, which has yet to be fully endorsed by OPEC ministers. The report forecasts that non-OPEC supply would amount to 58.2 million barrels per day by 2017, some 1 million barrels per day lower than in the previous forecast

Wall Street set to open lower ahead of Fed decision | Reuters

REUTERS - Wall Street was set to open slightly lower on Thursday, with investors reluctant to take big positions ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision later in the day. The Fed will announce the outcome of its policy meeting and release its latest economic projections at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), followed by a news conference by Chair Janet Yellen at 2:30 p.m

Oil slips as Japan data outweighs U.S. stock draw | Reuters

LONDON Oil prices fell on Thursday after weak Japanese data sounded alarm bells over the prospects for global growth, outweighing the bullish impact of a bigger-than-expected decline in U.S. crude oil stocks

Oil slips as Japan data outweighs U.S. stock draw | Reuters

LONDON Oil prices fell on Thursday after weak Japanese data sounded alarm bells over the prospects for global growth, outweighing the bullish impact of a bigger-than-expected decline in U.S.

Powerful quake hits off coast of Chile, evacuations ordered | Reuters

SANTIAGO A magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital city of Santiago and generating a tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and French Polynesia. Chile's government urged residents to evacuate the coastline.

HP rises as investors take positive view of cash return plans | Reuters

Shares of Hewlett-Packard Co ( HPQ.N ) rose as much as 5 percent on Wednesday as investors cheered plans for the company's soon-to-be separated but struggling PC and printer business to return more capital to shareholders than many had expected. HP, which has struggled for years in a declining PC market, also said it would cut up to 33,300 jobs over the next three years, mostly in its enterprise business.

Fed begins two-day meeting, result seen too close to call | Reuters

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve began a two-day policy meeting on Wednesday with economists evenly split on whether Thursday will see the first official U.S. interest rate rise since 2006. The decision by the U.S.

Netanyahu to Russia next week for talks on Syria - Israeli official | Reuters

JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Russia next week for talks with President Vladimir Putin on the expanding Russian military presence in Syria, an Israeli official said on Wednesday. "The prime minister will present the threats to Israel emanating from the increased flow of advanced weaponry to the Syrian arena and from the transfer of lethal weaponry to Hezbollah and other terrorist groups," the official said. Moscow has come under international pressure to explain its moves in Syria, where the Kremlin has been supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a 4-year-old civil war