It's going to take more than Facebook's initial public offering to push the stock market higher. U.S. stock indexes were flat-to-down slightly in early afternoon trading Friday.

MADRID (AP) — Chaos in Greek politics and Spanish banking combined this week to underscore just how fragile Europe's economy remains after an eviscerating austerity regime that has spawned unemployment, desperation and misery.

EDITOR'S NOTE — Facebook begins selling stock to the public Friday in the most talked-about market debut in years. Two Associated Press business writers are debating whether the stock is a smart buy.

LONDON (AP) — British officials have given their word: "We won't read your emails." But experts say the government's proposed new surveillance program will gather so much data that spooks won't have to read your messages to guess what you're up to.

Oil prices are lower ahead of a weekend meeting where leaders of the world's biggest economies will look for ways to help Europe resolve its debt crisis.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in two-thirds of U.S. states last month, evidence that modest economic growth is boosting hiring in most areas of the country.

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is about to find out just how much status updates, puppy photos and billions of "likes" are worth on Wall Street, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg ringing the Nasdaq Stock Market opening bell Friday morning from company headquarters a continent away.

NEW YORK (AP) — EDITOR'S NOTE — Facebook begins selling stock to the public Friday in the most talked-about market debut in years.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — EDITOR'S NOTE — Facebook begins selling stock to the public Friday in the most talked-about market debut in years.

Oil prices edged toward $93 a barrel Friday as financial markets stabilized after a sharp two-week sell-off caused by the latest flare-up in Europe's debt crisis and a gloomy economic outlook.

LONDON (AP) — HSBC may decide to sell its U.K. retail banking operations, depending on the impact of yet to be announced new banking regulations, published reports say.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — State media say Vietnamese police have arrested four senior executives at a major state-owned shipping company for alleged mismanagement in another high-profile scandal.

BEIJING (AP) — China's government on Friday rejected a U.S. antidumping ruling against its makers of solar power equipment and Chinese manufacturers warned possible higher tariffs might hurt efforts to promote clean energy.

BANGKOK (AP) — World stocks fell Friday after credit downgrades slapped on Spanish banks unnerved investors already worried about the stability of the 17-country euro currency union.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of eight of the world's biggest economies meet this weekend outside Washington, seeking to keep Europe's debt crisis from spiraling out of control and jeopardizing fledgling recoveries in the U.S.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has leveraged growing economic ties with China to reduce tensions to their lowest level since the two sides split in 1949.

TOKYO (AP) — A rocket has lifted off in Japan in the country's first commercial launch of a foreign satellite — one from South Korea designed to monitor the environment.

NEW YORK (AP) — A company started in a Harvard dorm room in 2004 has just raised $16 billion and is valued at $104 billion. All that from an initial public offering of stock.

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook found more than enough friends. The world's definitive online social network said Thursday that it raised $16 billion for itself and its early investors in an initial public stock offering that values Facebook at $104 billion.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart may have gotten its groove back, but an alleged bribery scheme threatens to curtail its progress. As Wal-Mart reported first-quarter profit on Thursday that beat Wall Street estimates, the world's largest retailer also disclosed that it is expanding an internal probe into alleged bribes at its Mexico unit to include other countries.

NEW YORK (AP) — Revenue gains at its Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic chains and online helped clothing seller Gap Inc. overcome rising costs and post first-quarter net income on Thursday that was unchanged from a year earlier.

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's initial public offering of stock is shaping up to be one of the largest ever. The world's definitive online social network is raising at least $16 billion for the company and its early investors in a transaction that values Facebook at $104 billion.