Bloomberg Fewer Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, indicating the US job market remains healthy. Jobless claims fell by 4,000 to 262,000 in the week ended Aug. 13, the smallest level in a month, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 42 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 265,000. Low …

  New York / AFP Wal-Mart Stores reported higher second-quarter earnings and lifted its profit forecast on Thursday after notching higher sales in the US. Earnings for the quarter ending July 31 were $3.8 billion, up 8.6 percent from the year-ago period. Sales were up 0.5 percent at $120.9 billion. Wal-Mart scored higher comparable sales and customer traffic in the …

  California / AFP Weary firefighters on Thursday battled a raging inferno that was threatening the homes of more than 82,000 people in southern California and sent flaming “firenadoes” tearing across the brush. Nearly 1,600 firefighters were fighting the giant blaze, but had only contained four percent of it, according to a fire service official. Dramatic local TV news footage …