Business

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has smoothed the ruffled feathers of anti-inflation hawks at the Fed by indicating he will only press for more policy easing if the U.S. economic slowdown worsens. Full Story »

DUBAI (Reuters) - Troubled conglomerate Dubai World has begun talks with small creditors, not included in the coordination committee of banks on its restructuring plan, to avoid any lawsuits, a UAE newspaper said on Sunday. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - London stocks fell at the start of trading on Friday after a slump on Wall Street overnight. Full Story »

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday the economic recovery has weakened more than expected and the Fed stands ready to act if needed to spur slowing growth. Full Story »

• Slideshow: Ben Bernanke

NEW YORK - Tiffany & Co.'s second-quarter net income rose 19 percent on higher revenue as shoppers bought more of its high-end jewelry around the world, particularly in Asia and Europe. Full Story »

CONSTRUCTION BOOSTS GROWTH: Britain's economy grew by 1.2 percent during the second quarter, faster than the earlier estimate of 1.1 percent, thanks to a sharp rise in construction. Full Story »

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is developing a new reverse mortgage product that sharply cuts up-front payments by home owners but also significantly reduces the percentage of a home's equity that can be paid to owners under the program. Reverse mortgages insured by the government are available on homes where the youngest owner is at least 62 years old. The program is called a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM). Full Story »

BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday urged Japanese companies operating in China to raise workers' wages, after a series of strikes led to costly factory shutdowns, Japan's foreign ministry said. Full Story »

MADRID (AFP) - Europe's largest clothing retailer, Spain's Inditex, is taking its flagship Zara brand online, but it can expect stiff competition from other giants of high-street fashion already well-established in cyberspace. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration's top housing official says several new programs are in the works to help try to revive the housing market. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq on Sunday slammed as "illegal" an agreement between its autonomous Kurdistan region and the German energy firm RWE that is expected to help supply the planned Nabucco gas pipeline to Europe. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service complaining that a conservative foundation spending millions of dollars on ads in election battleground states is violating its status as a tax-exempt organization. Full Story »

DETROIT (Reuters) - The U.S. auto industry felt like it dodged a bullet in July when retail sales to consumers held up and confounded forecasts for a drop, but then August came and that sense of relief went out the window. Full Story »