IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. homeowners facing foreclosure action haven't made a mortgage payment in an average of 17 months, compared to 11 months two years ago, and the time frame may increase, according to a USA Today report.

New York's elected judges will be barred from presiding over a case if the lawyer, plaintiff or defendant in that case has made any contribution of $2,500 or more in the judge's judicial election campaign during the two years prior to the trial, the state's top judge said.

New York's chief judge has taken steps to provide homeowners facing foreclosure legal representation free of charge.

Shares of Wal-Mart Stores fell nearly 4 percent in early trade after the world’s largest retailer a seventh straight quarterly decline in U.S. comparable-store sales, saying some of the pricing and merchandising issues ran deeper than it initially expected.

The private organizations taking part putting together a small business forum involving President Barack Obama and his top officials on Sunday have big hopes and plans for revitalizing northeast Ohio, an area of the nation which boasts a strong industrial history that fell upon hard times in recent decades.

Home Depot Inc (HD.N) beat quarterly profit and sales estimates and raised its fiscal-year outlook as shoppers took up long-delayed maintenance and repair projects for their homes in a slowly recovering U.S. economy.

A housing trade association is examining the possibility that the data it releases underestimated the collapse of the housing industry, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

World’s largest retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc reported a 1.8 percent fall in U.S. comparable-store sales for the fourth quarter even as it posted a 27 percent rise in quarterly profit.

Justin Bieber trademark hair do is now a thing of the past. The 16-year-old pop star snipped his swooping hair for a more mature, older-looking style

Educators love the idea of online courses, but traditional colleges and in-person training programs see it as a threat to their billion-dollar enterprises, says a new report.

Spot gold was last down 0.8 percent at $1,394.14 an ounce at 1025 GMT, having risen on Monday to its highest in about seven weeks. U.S. April gold futures were up 0.5 percent at $1,395.20 an ounce.

Bloody crackdown against demonstrators is set to cost the Libyan government heavy as officials withdraw while soldiers deflect towards protesters in the first signs of the Moammar Gaddafi's regime beginning to crumble.

Microsoft hopes that the move will show that it is embracing, not shunning homebrew developers.

Refiners Holly and Frontier Oil agreed to merge in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $3 billion, to create an independent refiner serving the mid-continent, Rocky Mountain and Southwest refining markets.

Justin Bieber has gotten himself a 'mature' haircut, sending fans to Twitter pouring out on the disappearance of the hair flip.

Apple's iPad sailed through 2010 without much opposition as a worthy competitor from either Android or Windows camp failed to emerge to challenge its hegemony.

Malware on mobile phones could be the next big target for criminals.

Rapper Bun B has threatened legal action against the designers of a line of T-shirts bearing his likeness and that of his late UKG bandmate, Pimp C

The School, which has a long history of association with Libya and its ruling powers, especially Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, is reconsidering its connections with the Libyan state.

Workers at a factory in east China's Suzhou industrial park, producing touch screens for Apple on contract have reportedly written a letter to Steve Jobs, conveying their grievances surrounding cases of chemical poisoning caused by a certain ingredient used in production.

Technology giant Apple has accepted that workers in China became seriously ill when their factory illegally swapped a cheaper toxic chemical, according to the Apple Supplier Responsibility 2011 Progress Report released on Tuesday.

She has been offered the lead role in the ABC serial

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has announced the creation of a national commission with the objective of giving a boost to teaching and research in the humanities and social sciences.

Fitch Ratings on Monday downgraded Libya's credit rating by one notch to BBB in the midst of escalating violence in the oil-rich North African nation.

While discussion over WikiLeaks' 2011 Nobel run continues, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook deserve nobel prize for facilitating pro-democracy protests in Middle East, North Africa and even China.

Former Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink could be on his way back to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea according to a report in ESPNsoccernet.

A school turns to Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to curb habitual skipping of classes by students.

Luxury carmaker Jaguar unveiled the C-X75 Concept car at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. The car C-X75 Concept is capable of reaching 100kph (62mph) in 3.4 seconds from standstill, it will also not harm the environment as it creates zero emissions during urban use.

He may play Clark Kent’s dad.