• Asia stocks slip as oil hovers near record
  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Asian stocks slipped on Friday as record high crude oil prices threatened to jeopardize earnings and curb consumer spending, with the uncertain economic outlook following U.S. jobs data boosting safe-haven government bonds. This week has been punctuated by stagflation fears and deteriorating sentiment after the Dow Jones industrial average slipped into a bear market this week, down more than 20 percent from October highs, joining Asia markets and pushing investors into safe

  

  

  
• Economy extends job loss streak
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut workers for a sixth straight month in June for the longest such streak since 2002 and the country's vast service sector unexpectedly contracted, underscoring the economy's frailty.

  

  

  
• Former Refco CEO gets 16 years in prison
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Phillip Bennett, the former chief executive of Refco, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Thursday for fleecing investors of more than $2.4 billion in a fraud that destroyed the world's largest independent commodities broker.

  

  

  
• For stocks, escaping bear hinges on oil, GE
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - It will be tough for Wall Street to shake off the bear market blues next week if the price of oil keeps rising and the earnings season kick-off from Alcoa and General Electric disappoints investors.

  

  

  
• BSkyB mulls $4 billion bid for Spain's Digital Plus-FT
  LONDON (Reuters) - British pay-TV firm BSkyB is considering a bid of more than 2.5 billion euros ($4 billion) for Spanish pay-TV platform Digital Plus, the Financial Times said on Friday.

  

  

  

Coverage includes breaking news, market reports, newsmaker interviews and key company profiles.

• Japan nuclear accident impact
  July 31 - Japan's killer earthquake left its biggest nuclear power company facing financial losses, supply questions, and demands for greater safety.
• Asia up as US fears ease
  July 31 - Asian stocks rose on Tuesday after a rebound on Wall Street, with the focus on earnings as credit fears eased.
• Transformers hit Japan
  Jul. 23 - The movie "Transformers" comes to Tokyo this week, a homecoming of sorts for the toy-robot film that earned over $260 million in three weeks in North America.
• Zoellick heads to Asia
  Jul. 26 - Newly appointed World Bank President Robert Zoellick will travel to Asia next week.
• Market's bumpy ride continues
  Jul. 30 - European markets experienced a up and down start to the week on Monday, while HSBC's results surprised.