Malaysian palm oil giant Felda said Thursday its initial public offering in June could raise up to 10.5 billion ringgit ($3.3 billion), making it the world's second-biggest IPO this year after Facebook.

Ah, the little plastic grocery bag, we hardly got to know you.

(Reuters) - Several top retailers reported stronger-than-expected sales in May, as shoppers overcame growing anxiety about the U.S. economy and the job market. Victoria's Secret parent Limited Brands Inc said on Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year had risen 6 percent in the four weeks ended May 26. The report came the day after department store chain Macy's Inc posted a 4.2 percent increase. Both companies beat Wall Street forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. ...

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - With many charities, donors have little idea about the recipients of their money. A Belgium-based laptop charity offers an alternative by linking the two using Facebook. YouBridge, which has a sponsorship deal with Intel and has received support from European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, wants people to donate towards a laptop and allow them to contact the developing world recipient online. YouBridge already has projects in Uganda, Nepal, and Bangladesh where it has so far supplied more than 200 laptops to teachers, health workers and other professionals. ...

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's economic growth slumped to its lowest level in nine years in the first three months of 2012, marking a dramatic slide in the fortunes of a country whose economy was boasting nearly double-digit growth before the global recession. "Urgent and bold steps are immediately needed to prevent the economy from descending into a full blown crisis. This must be averted at all costs," said Rajiv Kumar, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The economy grew 5.3 percent in the last quarter from a year earlier, a sharp slowdown from 9. ...

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's economic growth slumped to its lowest level in nine years in the first three months of 2012, marking a dramatic slide in the fortunes of a country whose economy was boasting nearly double-digit growth before the global recession. "Urgent and bold steps are immediately needed to prevent the economy from descending into a full blown crisis. This must be averted at all costs," said Rajiv Kumar, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The economy grew 5.3 percent in the last quarter from a year earlier, a sharp slowdown from 9. ...

Russia's currency, the ruble, on Thursday slumped to a three-year low on the back of the falling price of oil.

Israel on Thursday handed over to the Palestinian government the remains of 91 militants, including suicide bombers, in an effort to induce Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to renew long-stalled peace talks.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures advanced on Thursday, indicating the S&P 500 may bounce from its worst drop in two weeks ahead of data which could help shift the focus from euro zone headlines. The S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent on Wednesday, its biggest decline since May 17, as anxiety over the euro zone's fiscal crisis sent investors away from riskier assets and into safe havens such as Treasury bonds. The CBOE volatility index , a gauge of market anxiety, jumped 14.8 percent, its largest daily gain in almost three months. ...

The European Union urged Spain Thursday to come clean on how it plans to finance the overhaul of its banking sector, warning that uncertainty over this has contributed the recent market turmoil and the country's soaring borrowing costs.

The European Union urged Spain Thursday to come clean on how it plans to finance the overhaul of its banking sector, warning that uncertainty over this has contributed the recent market turmoil and the country's soaring borrowing costs.

LONDON (Reuters) - Demand for safe-haven assets kept German and U.S. Treasury debt yields near record lows on Thursday, as worries over Spain and its troubled banks kept markets nervous, although shares and the euro regained some stability. The single currency and world shares are poised for their biggest monthly drops since last September, while the oil price fall in May is set to be the largest for two years, as the escalation in the euro-zone crisis stokes concerns over its impact on the global economic outlook. ...

A British Cabinet minister fighting to safeguard his career amid criticism of his ties to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. on Thursday acknowledged his links to key executives, but denied he showed bias in handling a take-over bid launched by the mogul's media empire.

President Barack Obama's campaign is ramping up criticism of Republican Mitt Romney's record in Massachusetts, while the Republican nominee is contrasting his record in the private sector with the Obama administration's support for green energy companies.

President Barack Obama's campaign is ramping up criticism of Republican Mitt Romney's record in Massachusetts, while the Republican nominee is contrasting his record in the private sector with the Obama administration's support for green energy companies.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The remains of 91 Palestinian militants whose attacks killed hundreds of Israelis were returned to the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday in a gesture Israel said it hoped could help revive peace efforts. But there was no indication Palestinian leaders were ready to relax their demand that Israel stop all settlement-building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem before they would resume the suspended talks, or that Israel would relent. ...

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The remains of 91 Palestinian militants whose attacks killed hundreds of Israelis were returned to the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday in a gesture Israel said it hoped could help revive peace efforts. But there was no indication Palestinian leaders were ready to relax their demand that Israel stop all settlement-building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem before they would resume the suspended talks, or that Israel would relent. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to propose a far-reaching municipal ban on sales of large-size sugary beverages by restaurants, mobile food carts, movie theaters and delis, his administration said on Wednesday. A document outlining the proposal said it was aimed at fighting an epidemic of obesity, citing public health statistics showing that 58 percent of New York City adults and nearly 40 percent of city public school students are obese or overweight. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to propose a far-reaching municipal ban on sales of large-size sugary beverages by restaurants, mobile food carts, movie theaters and delis, his administration said on Wednesday. A document outlining the proposal said it was aimed at fighting an epidemic of obesity, citing public health statistics showing that 58 percent of New York City adults and nearly 40 percent of city public school students are obese or overweight. ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station released Space Exploration Technologies' unmanned Dragon cargo ship on Thursday, one of the final milestones in a pioneering mission for commercial firms seeking a major role in space travel. Dragon, which arrived Friday as part of a test flight, was the first privately owned spaceship to reach the $100 billion orbital outpost, a 15-nation project. It was scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean about 560 miles southwest of Los Angeles at 11:44 a.m. EDT. ...