As corporate profits rise and Wall Street earnings soar, President Barack Obama is pressing American business leaders to create more jobs and find ways for struggling middle-class families to share in the nation's economic recovery.

European shares were set to edge up on Friday, snapping five straight sessions of falls, as shares on Wall Street pared losses after a retreat in crude prices from earlier highs helped ease worries over global growth.

The London Stock Exchange suffered a second embarrassing system glitch in a week on Friday when UK share trading failed to start on time, angering clients keen to trade because of tension in Libya.

The world is going to become richer and richer as developing economies play catch up over the coming years, according to Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup.

China will build another 45 airports over the next five years, the industry regulator said on Thursday, raising fresh questions about the potential for overcapacity in the transport sector.

It's geeky but true: An Intel technology called "Thunderbolt" is creating quite a storm in the computer and gadget worlds this week.