Wall Street rises again on hopes that Congress can deliver

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is rising again in Thursday morning trading with hopes that Washington can get past its partisanship to deliver more support for the economy. The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher as talks continue on a deal that could send more cash to Americans, restore jobless benefits for laid-off...

US layoffs remain elevated as 837,000 seek jobless aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined last week to a still-high 837,000, evidence that the economy is struggling to sustain a tentative recovery that began this summer. The Labor Department's report, released Thursday, suggests that companies are still cutting a...

Unemployment marches higher in Europe as pandemic grinds on

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Unemployment rose for a fifth straight month in Europe in August and is expected to grow further amid concern that extensive government support programs won't be able keep many businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions afloat forever. The jobless rate increased to 8.1% in the 19...

US jobless claims reach 837,000 as layoffs remain high nearly 7 months after virus struck economy

Tokyo trading stops over system failure, China on holiday

TOKYO (AP) — Trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was suspended Thursday because of a problem in the system for relaying market information. Most other Asian markets were closed for national holidays. The Tokyo Stock Exchange said that all trading was stopped because of the problem, and will not resume for...

Pelosi and Mnuchin have 'extensive' talks on COVID relief

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held an “extensive conversation" Wednesday on a huge COVID-19 rescue package, meeting face to face for the first time in more than a month in a last-ditch effort to seal a tentative accord on an additional round of...

Wall Street rallies to close out strong, but wild quarter

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday, but only after zooming up, down and back up again in a fitting end to what was a wild month and quarter for Wall Street. Prospects for additional support from Congress for the economy helped drive the day’s trading, as they have for weeks. The...

German jobless rate falls in September, fewer on furlough

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's unemployment rate declined in September despite the coronavirus pandemic, official data showed Wednesday. Jobless figures have been kept lower by extensive use of a short-term salary support program, but estimates show that the number of people receiving that support is also...

Markets mixed after Trump-Biden debate; data lifts China

Stocks were mixed in Asia on Wednesday while upbeat manufacturing data lifted shares in China as investors studied the outcome of the debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Hong Kong and Shanghai led regional gains while Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged lower. Overnight,...

Child poverty likely to increase in EU amid virus pandemic

BRUSSELS (AP) — Child poverty has reached an “unacceptable" level across the European Union, the world's largest trading bloc, a situation likely to worsen during the coronavirus pandemic, the EU's external auditor said Tuesday. According to EU data, almost 23 million people under 18 —...