AFP - Japan vowed Thursday to fight a global trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna, the pricey mainstay of sushi and sashimi, as Europe and the United States step up moves to protect the species.

AP - China's inflation spiked higher in February, adding to pressure on Beijing to prevent overheating and keep the recovery in the world's third-largest economy on track.

AP - A final agreement nearly in hand, President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders are about to embark on one last sales job that will determine the outcome of the president's signature health care overhaul.

AP - Greek public transport was halted, flights grounded and state hospitals left with emergency staff only on Thursday as workers held yet another general strike to protest painful spending cuts.

AFP - Daihatsu Motor Co., a subsidiary of embattled Toyota, said Thursday it was recalling almost 275,000 vehicles due to possible defects, the latest in a raft of problems hitting Japanese carmakers.

AP - The foreclosure crisis isn't over, but the pace of growth may finally be slowing down.

AP - For the want of a better two-second picture of a tachometer, ABC News has called into question its reporting on acceleration problems with Toyota vehicles.

AP - Asian stock markets were mostly lower Thursday as China's burst of inflation and Japan's weaker growth tempered confidence in the regional economic rebound.

AP - The Treasury Department sank billions into auto finance giant GMAC Inc. without an exit strategy or proof the company was viable — a decision that could cost taxpayers $6.3 billion, a new watchdog report says.

AP - Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim is the world's richest person, jumping past Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the first person from a developing nation to top the list, according to Forbes magazine.

AP - Reports of sudden acceleration in the Toyota Prius have spiked across the country. But that doesn't mean there's an epidemic of bad gas pedals in the popular hybrid.

AFP - The US Senate has adopted a 140-billion-dollar raft of measures aimed at shoring up unemployment benefits and setting out tax breaks to spur job creation.