News Today - Apr 24

* Microsoft has said that declining PC sales hurt revenue, as the software giant reported quarterly sales that fell for the first time in its 23-year history as a public company. full story

* Leaders from the Group of Seven are still debating who's responsible for what as they gather in Washington this weekend.

* Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa U.S. stimulus won't be enough to revive the economy without additional measures on ills such as excessive household debt.

* Korea manages to avoid a second-straight quarter of contraction, as GDP grows by 0.1%, with construction offering big boost.

* The Treasury Department is preparing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing for Chrysler LLC that could come as early as next week, The New York Times reported Thursday on its Web site, citing people close to the situation.

* The global economy has shown signs that the worst of the recession may be easing in recent weeks, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner"In recent weeks, there have been some encouraging signs that the global economic downturn may be slackening," he wrote. "Conditions in some financial markets have improved and the decline in world trade may be abating."