A Quick Glance at News

v Asian shares slid to near six-week lows and the euro fell on Wednesday, as investors turned edgy ahead of a pivotal European Central Bank meeting on Thursday and U.S. payroll data on Friday.

v The S&P 500 closed slightly lower on Tuesday as investors continued to await clarity on European Central Bank plans to shore up heavily indebted countries, but the market ended off its lows on a rally in Apple Inc.

v Nokia and Microsoft Corp will take the wraps off the struggling European company's most powerful Smartphone on Wednesday, in what may be their last major shot at winning back a market lost to Apple, Samsung and Google.

v Brent crude hovered in a tight range near $114 a barrel on Wednesday on caution ahead of a keenly awaited European Central Bank meeting, while global growth concerns deterred buyers.

v The euro dipped slightly against the dollar in Asian trading on Wednesday, but support for the single currency stayed intact a day ahead of a European Central Bank meeting that is expected to unveil more details of a long-awaited debt-buying plan.

v Shares of PC maker Lenovo Group Ltd dropped as much as 8.1 percent on Wednesday after Japan's cash-strapped NEC Corp sold its entire stake in the company in a deal worth 18 billion yen ($229.62 million).

v Apple Inc distributed invitations to an event in San Francisco on September 12, setting the stage for what is widely expected to be the release of the iPhone 5.

v Australia’s economic growth slowed from a revised 1.4 percent expansion in the previous quarter. The report covers a period before companies including BHP Billiton Ltd. scaled back mining projects in response to lower prices for iron ore, the nation’s most valuable commodity export.

v Amazon Inc and Hollywood studio partnership Epix struck a three-year deal that adds about 3,000 movies to Amazon's video streaming library, ramping up competition with the likes of Netflix Inc and Apple Inc.

v Australia's economy grew 0.6% in the second quarter of 2012, according to data compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. First-quarter gross domestic product growth was revised up to 1.4%, from a previous reading of 1.3%. Economists had been expecting GDP to grow 0.8% according to data compiled by Dow Jones Newswires, while Reuters had tipped a 0.7% rise. The Australian dollar traded at $1.0203 after the data, compared to $1.0210 earlier in the session.

v Nokia Oyj (NOK1V), the mobile-phone maker that lost 95 percent of market value since 2007, is trading at the biggest premium to analyst price forecasts in almost a decade following a record rally.

v Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index headed for the longest losing streak in eight weeks, as economic reports from the U.S. to China and Australia stoked concern global growth is slowing.