Business Today: Futures briefly fall after payrolls data

Click to View in Browser 05/4/2012 Futures briefly fall after payrolls data NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures briefly fell before rebounding to trade near flat on Friday after the April payroll report missed expectations. April hiring slows, jobless rate falls to 8.1 percent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Employers decreased hiring for the second straight month in April but the unemployment rate still fell to 8.1 percent, giving mixed messages about the economy's strength ahead of President Barack Obama's November re-election bid. Exclusive: Ernst, audit clients cut lobbying ties-records WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ernst & Young's lobbying unit is no longer listed as a lobbyist for three major U.S. companies, all of whom were 2011 audit clients of the accounting giant. The deregistration follows questions raised by two U.S. senators in March about whether the dual relationships crossed auditor independence boundaries. Exclusive: Barclays loses commodities trading chief Jones to Mercuria LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays has lost its commodities trading chief Roger Jones to Swiss trader Mercuria in one of the biggest moves by commodities traders from banks, scrutinized by regulators. Misery builds for the euro zone LONDON (Reuters) - The euro zone economy worsened markedly in April, according to business surveys that clashed with the prospect of a gradual recovery augured by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi this week. Analysis: Spain bad loan mess revives debate on who should pay LONDON (Reuters) - Spain's plan to rid banks of toxic real estate assets is reviving the politically heated debate over how creditors and taxpayers should share the vast losses still being incurred by the euro zone debt crisis. Air France-KLM says won't back down on costs PARIS (Reuters) - Air France-KLM on Friday told both unions and the next French government it would not back down on the need for deep cuts in labor costs as its battles low-cost rivals and record fuel. Hong Kong graft probe nets third billionaire Kwok brother HONG KONG (Reuters) - Walter Kwok, the ousted head of Asia's biggest developer, Sun Hung Kai Properties , has been arrested as Hong Kong's anti-graft agency widens a high-profile bribery investigation that has already netted Kwok's two younger billionaire brothers and the former No.2 in the city's government. Mercuria hires Goldman commodities investment executive: source NEW YORK (Reuters) - Swiss-based trading house Mercuria has hired Goldman Sachs' former co-head of commodities investment, Shameek Konar, to help manage its global portfolio of energy assets, a source familiar with the firm said on Thursday. Analysis: Central Europe walks austerity tightrope BUCHAREST (Reuters) - When Romania's government cut salaries by a quarter in 1931, it collapsed and the country ran through 22 different cabinets in a decade and slid into dictatorship and war. Related Video Argentina passes bill to nationalise Spain's YPF Protest as ECB meets in Spain Economic News Hawk to dove, trio of Fed officials says no to QE3 April hiring slows, jobless rate falls to 8.1 percent A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend