Reuters - U.S. stocks rose the most in more than a month on Thursday after Wal-Mart and other retailers posted stronger-than-expected May sales and data showed a surprising fall in weekly jobless claims, spurring optimism about the economy's health.

Reuters - Verizon Wireless said on Thursday it would buy rural mobile phone service provider Alltel Corp for $28.1 billion, including debt, which would vault it to first place in the U.S. market ahead of AT&T Inc.

AFP - Verizon Wireless, the second biggest US mobile operator, is in advanced talks to buy American peer Alltel in a deal that would enable it to leapfrog market leader AT&T, Verizon part-owner Vodafone said Thursday.

Reuters - Stocks pulled back from session highs on Thursday after Standard & Poor's cut the credit ratings of bond insurers MBIA Inc and Ambac Financial , keeping worries alive about credit losses.

Reuters - Researchers who spied on 100,000 people using their cell phone signals confirmed on Wednesday that most human beings are indeed creatures of habit.

AFP - Japan's third-largest cellphone operator Softbank Mobile said Wednesday it had clinched a deal to bring Apple's iPhone to Japan.