The deadly attacks in Paris earlier this month could have a lasting impact on tourism if anti-France protests that have swept the Muslim world lead wealthy Arabs to shun the city.

New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $142 billion state budget on Wednesday that keeps spending growth below 2 percent and promises more money for big-ticket infrastructure projects while cutting property taxes.

Microsoft Corp surprised the tech world on Wednesday with a prototype hologram visor that can bring the Minecraft video game, Skype calls and even the landscape of Mars to three-dimensional life.

EBay Inc's plans to break up into three different companies could accommodate would-be suitors, signaling a potential merger fight after the breakup.

The European Central Bank is poised to announce a plan on Thursday to buy government bonds, resorting to its last big policy tool for breathing life into the flagging euro zone economy and fending off deflation.

Oil prices edged up on Wednesday in a further sign of support around current levels, but analysts said the outlook for the next six months remained bleak due to oversupply.

French newspaper "Le Monde" said its twitter account and publishing tool were hacked by a group called the "Syrian Electronic Army", an amorphous hacker collective that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

After four years of economic sacrifices, Greece bet it could agree an early end to its international bailout. Instead a stand off with creditors in a Paris townhouse led to new political uncertainty and another euro zone storm.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the United States and not China must write trade rules for Asia and called on Congress to give the White House a freer hand to close trade deals.

RWE is exploring the sale of power plants, its chief operating officer told Reuters on Tuesday, frustrated with profit erosion and lack of political support for its struggling generation units.