IBT Staff Reporter

Microsoft Corp reported a greater-than-expected 30 percent increase in fiscal fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by sales of its Office software, but profit from its core Windows product fell on soft personal computer sales.

Prime Minister David Cameron came under renewed pressure to detail his relations with scandal-hit News Corp on Thursday and the spotlight fell on other newspaper groups when an official said police were reviewing their reporting methods.

Factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region rebounded in July, but stubbornly high new filings for jobless benefits suggested an expected pick-up in economic growth in the second half of 2011 would be modest.

Andy Schleck's attack on the Col d'Izoard with more than 60 km to go in Stage 18, has primed the Leopard-Trek rider for victory in the 2011 Tour de France.

Borders is closing. But it's not all bad news. Buzz about liquidation sales is mounting.

If the economy does not show signs of sustainable improvement this quarter, the Federal Reserve should dig into its toolbox to find new ways to help it along, a top Fed official said on Thursday.

The U.S. delivered the last time there was a space race. This time those who want to see the country beat the Russians and other space competition may be relying on the private sector.

Drugs used to slow down multiple sclerosis may help patients but are unreasonably expensive, said a study Wednesday. The medications, disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) have been on the market since the 1990s and include beta interferons, glatiramer, and natalizumab.

Groupon Inc's privacy and data-collection policies came under congressional scrutiny on Thursday, the latest sign of regulatory pressure on the largest online daily deals company.

Over one million users purchased and downloaded Mac OS X in a single day, announced Apple.

Stocks climbed on Thursday as signs of progress on the U.S. debt talks and concrete action from Europe on its own debt crisis heartened investors.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian may be a Mrs. pretty soon. The 'wedding of the year' is rumored to take place next month between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. The two became engaged back in May, when Kris was said to have presented Kim with at 20.5 carat diamond ring. It was speculated from the beginning that the alleged Kim Kardashian wedding date is set for August 20, 2011.

Stocks advanced on Thursday led by banks after Morgan Stanley reported better-than-expected results and as details of a new Greece rescue plan emerged.

A humbled John Paulson told investors on Thursday he was too aggressive with some of the stock bets in his flagship funds and he is trimming back some of his riskiest holdings.

U.S. stocks advanced on Thursday led by banks after Morgan Stanley reported better-than-expected results and as details of a new Greece rescue plan emerged.

If the economy does not show signs of sustainable improvement this quarter, the Federal Reserve should dig into its toolbox to find new ways to help it along, a top Fed official said on Thursday.

Trailers for next year's biggest blockbusters have recently been released. Which has you more excited?

Should people like Barbara test for Alzheimer's disease or is this a lose-lose situation? Currently prescribed drugs ease symptoms but only help half of the people who are treated and for less than a year on average.

Stocks advanced on Thursday, powered by financials after Morgan Stanley reported better-than-expected results and on apparent progress on debt deals in Europe and the United States.

A humbled John Paulson told investors on Thursday he was too aggressive with some of the stock bets in his flagship funds and he is trimming back some of his riskiest holdings.

Recent research says the European house mouse has become resistant to rodent poison.

Tall women face an increased risk of cancer, British researchers said. The study focused on British women and found that for every four inches added risk of cancer increases by 16 percent.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc won the dismissal of a lawsuit accusing it of causing an investor to become insolvent by fraudulently misleading it about risky debt it expected would tumble in value.

Private-sector growth in the euro zone ground to a halt this month and China's factory sector contracted for the first time in a year, surveys showed on Thursday, deepening evidence of a global slowdown.

The economy is lacking in pep heading into the second half of the year. Just ask the head of the company that makes Pepsi.

Morgan Stanley stunned Wall Street with better-than-expected second-quarter results, outperforming Goldman Sachs and other rivals as it gained market share in tough trading conditions.

Stocks rose on Thursday as encouraging results from Morgan Stanley lifted optimism over the battered financial sector, while investors were cheered by the initial details over a rescue plan for Greece.

The New York Times reported 224,000 digital subscribers in the second quarter to its flagship website, smartphone and tablet applications, up from more than 100,000 in April.

Express Scripts Inc will buy rival Medco Health Solutions Inc for $29.1 billion, creating a U.S. powerhouse in managing prescription drug benefits that is sure to draw antitrust scrutiny.