DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. (F) said Monday that U.S. sales of its hybrid vehicles rose 50 percent to nearly 2,800 last month, boosted by aggressive incentives. Preliminary numbers indicate Ford’s hybrid sales were up 75 percent compared with March, Ford spokesman Monte Doran said. Ford is expected to post …

NEW YORK – Wall Street extended its rebound to a third session Friday, ending with a moderate advance after personal consumption data bolstered the outlook for the economy and interest rates. Investors were upbeat about a Commerce Department report that income and spending rose in April, helped along by improved …

NEW YORK – Crude futures gained more than 2 percent Tuesday, as scientists’ predictions about the next Atlantic hurricane season and a fire at a Louisiana refinery renewed concerns about potential supply disruptions in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane experts said the season should be an active one, but that …

WASHINGTON – The United States, which has been coping with a record-high trade deficit with China, welcomed the rise in that country’s currency. “Greater flexibility in China’s exchange rate is something we’ve long advocated,” Treasury Department spokesman Tony Fratto said Monday in response to the appreciation in China’s currency, called …

MANCHESTER, England – Police on Wednesday arrested nine people suspected of giving support to terrorism outside Britain, Greater Manchester Police said. Police served warrants at a number of addresses beginning at 3 a.m. local time, the force said. About 500 officers were involved in the operation, and searches were continuing …

RICHMOND, Va. – The state Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a new trial to determine whether a death row inmate is mentally retarded, making him ineligible for capital punishment. The justices said that the first jury charged with determining Daryl Atkins‘ mental state should not have been told that he …

WASHINGTON – Brand-name drug prices jumped nearly 4 percent during the first three months of the year, raising costs for taxpayers subsidizing the Medicare drug program and for some of those participating in it, AARP said Tuesday. AARP, an advocacy group for senior citizens, said the quarterly increase was the …

ATLANTA – An obscure candidate in a down-ticket Georgia race is getting some much-needed attention from a rap campaign song that pummels voters with a simple, mind-numbing lyric: “Vote 4 Miss Angela.” That’s Angela Moore, a 43-year-old medical personnel company owner making her first run for office in Georgia’s packed …

SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday’s session are Red Hat Inc. (RHAT), 3Com Corp. (COMS) and Walt Disney Co. (DIS) Accenture Ltd. (ACN) is expected to report earnings per share for the third quarter of 46 cents, according to analysts …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The U.S. military claimed an advantage in the fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq on Thursday, saying raids since the death of its leader have forced many of its foreign fighters out into the open to be captured or killed. Iraq’s bloodshed continued. At least 46 deaths …