Twitter Inc. was valued at about $9 billion after early employees sold $80 million in shares to a fund managed by BlackRock Inc., three people with knowledge of the matter said. The sales were overseen by Twitter Chief Operating Officer Ali Rowghani, said one of the people Friday, who asked not to be identified because the transactions were private.  Twitter is helping early shareholders realize part of the value of their holdings while letting select investors obtain equity in the fast-growing

SANTIAGO (AFP) ― European and Latin American leaders have pledged to shun protectionism and boost their strategic partnership to foster free trade and sustainable development based on close international cooperation.Some 60 countries are represented at the summit between the 27-member European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC.Set up in Caracas in December 2011 at the behest of Venezuela, CELAC groups all nations from across the Americas except the United S

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Obama administration officials struggled Wednesday to defend their initial statements that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is safe while promising a transparent probe of mishaps involving the aircraft’s batteries.Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stood by his Jan. 11 assertion that the 787, Boeing’s newest and most technologically advanced airliner, was safe. At that time, LaHood and the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Michael Huerta, declared the plane fit to fly desp

Debt burden stayed at 90 percent of output in third quarter amid low growth

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling until May, averting a potential default crisis and buying time for high-stakes budget negotiations.The bill, which must be approved by the Senate before being signed into law by President Barack Obama, temporarily has defused partisan tensions, as Democrats and Republicans struggle to reach a broader deal to rein in deficits and the federal debt.The Republican-introduced measure passed 285-144, with

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Google eked out slightly higher earnings in the fourth quarter, despite a financial drag caused by the Internet search leader’s expansion into device manufacturing and a decline in digital ad prices as more people gaze into the smaller screens of smartphones.The results announced Tuesday pleased investors, helping to lift Google’s stock by nearly 5 percent in extended trading.More advertising poured into Google during the holiday shopping season, fueling a moneymaking machin