IBT Staff Reporter

Authorities arrested four people and will announce charges against several more on Wednesday as part of the government's sweeping probe into insider trading at hedge funds, an FBI spokesman said.

U.S. factory output in December grew at the fastest pace in a year and homebuilder sentiment improved this month, further evidence the economy entered the new year on firmer footing.

The English page of Wikipedia, the world's free online encyclopedia, was dark on Wednesday except for a paragraph urging users to protest legislation designed to stop copyright piracy, but that Wikipedia says could fatally damage the free and open Internet.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday on optimism the International Monetary Fund wants to raise more money to help combat Europe's debt crisis and after Goldman Sachs' earnings beat estimates.

Industrial output rose in December as manufacturing rebounded at its strongest pace in a year, countering a weather-related decline in utilities, Federal Reserve data showed on Wednesday.

Gillette and Braun hope a new gadget will win over a group that is not their typical customer base -- guys who sport facial hair.

Swiss police said on Wednesday they had arrested two men suspected of throwing red paint and scrawling SMASH WEF in black graffiti on the walls of the Swiss National Bank.

Goldman Sachs Group reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit of $978 million, or $1.84 per share, compared with a gain of $2.2 billion one year earlier. Analysts had forecast earnings of $1.24 a share.

Cellphone makers are set to struggle with slow sales growth this year as a weaker global economy discourages consumers from replacing older handsets.

Producer prices fell in December as companies paid less for gasoline and vegetables, although higher prices for light motor trucks pushed a measure of underlying inflation higher.

Industrial output rose in December as manufacturing rebounded at its strongest pace in a year, further evidence the economy ended 2011 on a firmer footing.

Divers searching the capsized Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia suspended work on Wednesday after the vast wreck shifted slightly, but officials said they are hoping to resume as soon as possible.

The House of Representatives will resume work next month on a controversial bill aimed at stopping online piracy of movies, music and other content, a leading lawmaker said on Tuesday.

Before Herman Cain suspended his presidential campaign, he told critics offended by his unscripted remarks to get a sense of humor. And on Tuesday, he showed that he can take a joke -- Stephen Colbert's -- even when he is its target.

A blackout scheduled for Wednesday to protest against proposed legislation on online piracy has failed to get the support of the biggest Internet players.

Stocks opened little changed on Wednesday as initial enthusiasm over the International Monetary Fund's plan to bolster lending to struggling euro zone nations flagged, but financial shares were boosted after Goldman Sachs quarterly profits topped views.

The FBI is in the process of arresting Anthony Chiasson, who co-founded the Level Global Investors hedge fund, and others as part of the government's sweeping probe into insider trading, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The Canadian government is watching the housing market closely and is ready to intervene if necessary, but is not about to do so now, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Tuesday, noting he saw indications of softening in the market.

Canada still enjoys the confidence of its allies despite the arrest of a Canadian naval intelligence officer charged with handing over secrets to an unnamed country, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said on Tuesday.

The producers of Broadway's version of Spider-Man filed a countersuit against the musical's ousted director Julie Taymor on Tuesday, accusing her of jeopardizing the production by not caring about ticket sales.

The Ottawa Senators fought back to beat bitter rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 as sparks flew and the Battle of Ontario got a little nasty on Tuesday.

As some of the world's biggest grain traders fan out across Canada's Prairies to compete openly for farmers' wheat and barley for the first time since World War II, they're finding more farmers like Paul Balicki than Stephen Vandervalk.

Canada's Catalyst Paper Corp (CTL.TO: Quote) filed for Chapter 15 protection in a U.S. court on Tuesday as the specialty paper and newsprint producer grappled with rising costs of raw materials and lower demand.

A blackout scheduled for Wednesday to protest against proposed legislation on online piracy has failed to get the support of the biggest Internet players.

Applications for home mortgages surged more than 20 percent last week, fueled by a wave of refinancing demand as interest rates dropped, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Producer prices fell in December as companies paid less for gasoline and vegetables but a measure of underlying inflation climbed higher, sending mixed signals about inflation pressures in the economy.

Canada's main stock index looked set to open higher on Wednesday after reports that International Monetary Fund could boost its European lending facility by $1 trillion to help ease the euro zone debt crisis.

European regulators will decide around the end of March whether to file a formal complaint against Google for misuse of its market position, potentially bringing the internet company's squabble with competitors to a head much sooner than expected.

The International Monetary Fund is estimating it needs to raise up to $600 billion in new resources to lend to countries struggling with the fallout from the growing euro zone debt crisis, IMF sources said on Wednesday.