Aaron's Daily WWW Newspaper

(Reuters) - Billionaire investor George Soros has warned Europe's debt crisis risks triggering another Great Depression unless euro zone leaders adopt a series of radical policy measures, including the creation of a common treasury.

(Reuters) - The U.S. securities regulator is widening its probe into mortgage-bond deals that ushered in the financial crisis, and is pushing for a settlement of more than $200 million with Citigroup, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co and Chrysler Group LLC agreed to extend labor contracts with the United Auto Workers on Thursday as the union's negotiations failed to produce the expected breakthrough on pay for 113,000 autoworkers.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion is set to report sharply lower earnings and revenue after markets close on Thursday, as a raft of new BlackBerry smartphones arrived only late in the quarter.

LONDON (Reuters) - Global regulators have revised their rules so they can more easily track down commodity market abuses that cut across national borders.

ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) - A rising tide of investor agitation over Microsoft Corp's static share price and bulging cash hoard made no mark at the software company's annual meeting with Wall Street analysts and fund managers on Wednesday.

Consumers paid more for a range of goods and services last month, pushing up inflation and squeezing Americans' purchasing power.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits last week jumped to the highest level in three months, a sign that layoffs could be increasing.

Swiss banking giant UBS said Thursday that a rogue trader has caused it an estimated loss of $2 billion, stunning a beleaguered banking industry that has proven vulnerable to unauthorized trades.

The deficit in the broadest measure of foreign trade narrowed in the spring. A higher foreign oil bill was offset by increases in payments made by foreign tourists traveling in the United States and on income U.S. citizens and companies made on their overseas investments.

Banks have stepped up their actions against homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, setting the stage for a fresh wave of foreclosures.

Netflix is lowering its U.S. subscriber expectations for the third quarter because of customer losses relating to a split of its DVD and streaming options.

Celebrities are gabbing about it openly. A growing number of grooming products cater to it. And a recent TV commercial hails it as "the cradle of life" and "the center of civilization."

The United Auto Workers union extended its contracts with General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC early Thursday after failing to meet a deadline to reach a new agreement.

Oil prices hovered near $89 a barrel Thursday, supported by a weaker dollar and rising stock markets in Europe even with signs of sluggish U.S. consumer demand.

Thousands of workers at Freeport-McMoran's gold and copper mine in eastern Indonesia began a monthlong strike Thursday to protest low wages.

Consumers paid more for a range of goods and services last month, pushing up inflation and squeezing Americans' purchasing power.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits last week jumped to the highest level in three months, a sign that layoffs could be increasing.