IBT Staff Reporter

A Japanese banker who is a key figure in the Olympus accounting fraud came into public view for the first time since the scandal broke, appearing on Friday at his divorce hearing in a Florida court.

Sempra, the commodity trading powerhouse that boasted a decade-long profit streak before it was sold four years ago, is being reborn.

A Japanese banker who is a key figure in the Olympus accounting fraud came into public view for the first time since the scandal broke, appearing on Friday at his divorce hearing in a Florida court.

In the first legal challenge to last week's recess appointments by the Obama administration, a lobbying group for small businesses said on Friday it is contesting the naming of three members to the National Labor Relations Board.

In a flurry of court filings this week, lawyers for claimants before the $20 billion BP oil spill fund asked a federal judge to reconsider his December order requiring that six percent of future settlements be placed in a reserve account.

Bank of America Corp told Federal Reserve officials in June that it could shed branches in some parts of the country if it needed to raise capital in an emergency, a person familiar with the matter said.

U.S. stock investors will return to a tug-of-war between signs of domestic strength and overseas concerns next week as a batch of critical earnings reports look to add credence to the idea the economy is improving, while credit-rating downgrades in Europe will keep that region's difficulties in view.

Main Street investors made fewer trades in their brokerage accounts toward the end of 2011 amid skittish markets, slowing a key engine of growth for U.S. discount brokers.

U.S. regulators looking at whether Google manipulates its search results to favor its own products have expanded the probe to include Google+, the search giant's new social networking tool, a source familiar with the probe said on Friday.

U.S. regulators looking at whether Google Inc. manipulates its search results to favor its own products have expanded the probe to include Google+, the search giant's new social-networking tool, a source familiar with the probe said on Friday.

Motorola Mobility Inc did not violate Apple's patented technology in making its Droid, Cliq, BackFlip and other smartphones, a judge at the U.S. International Trade Commission said in a preliminary decision issued on Friday.

From the world's first eye-controlled laptop and a pet-tracking app to a glass-encased ultra-thin notebook, 2012's Consumer Electronics Show produced more than a few gems to point the way forward in technology.

Apple revealed its closely guarded list of global suppliers for the first time and vowed to deal with worker abuses, hoping to deflect criticism it was turning a blind eye to cases of poor working conditions in a mostly Asian supply chain.

Online retailer Rue La La, has stepped back from its Rue Local daily deal business, the latest Groupon Inc rival to hit trouble.

Stocks dropped on Friday, snapping a four-day winning streak, after news reports that Standard & Poor's would downgrade credit ratings on several euro-zone countries.

Two top Federal Reserve officials, including a policy centrist, said on Friday the central bank should hold off buying more bonds to boost growth given a strengthening in the economy.

A judge ordered an 84-year old billionaire to jail on Thursday after finding him in contempt for failing to complete a construction project at Detroit's Ambassador Bridge, the busiest crossing between the United States and Canada.

Canada posted an unexpected trade surplus in November as a strengthening U.S. economy helped push exports to a three-year high, offering hope to a hard-hit sector.

The head of Canada's most storied pension fund wants rivals to be partners as debt-laden governments offload assets, and says a recent bid with two other pension funds for the nation's leading stock market operator is a good start.

Several major hotel chains have launched a new website in an effort to increase their online booking revenue and lower costs associated with third-party travel services.

Hunter Harrison engineered a turnaround at Canadian National Railway by making his trains run on time, like dictator Mussolini promised for Italy, calling even low-ranking employees if a screen mounted in his office pointed to a problem.

Washington Mutual Inc said on Friday it has won court approval to send its latest reorganization plan to creditors for a vote, and hopes to end its nearly 3-1/2-year-old bankruptcy by the end of February.

Apple revealed its closely guarded list of global suppliers for the first time and vowed to deal with worker abuses, hoping to deflect criticism it was turning a blind eye to cases of poor working conditions in a mostly Asian supply chain.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby skated with his team mates for the first time in more than a month on Friday, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said.

Standard & Poor's carried out a mass downgrade of euro zone countries on Friday, stripping France and Austria of their top-grade AAA ratings in a move that may complicate efforts to solve a two-year old European debt crisis.

Sorry, Stephen Colbert fans: The Colbert Report host can't run for president in his home state of South Carolina, despite polls showing him ahead of Jon Huntsman and despite his transferring control of his super PAC to Jon Stewart.

Lady Gaga has been up front about her admiration for Madonna. But does Madonna share the love?

A senior executive of the Dallas-based telecommunications company wrote in a blog post that the FCC shouldn't have the power to determine which companies can purchase wireless spectrum.

Consumer sentiment hit an eight-month high in early January as Americans grew more optimistic about job prospects, a survey released on Friday showed.