IBT Staff Reporter

The Obama administration rebuked Israel on Friday of approving more construction on occupied land before considering a freeze on such construction, further complicating U.S. efforts to revive Middle East peace talks.

Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chairmen and directors were generally unaware that staff were probing Bernard Madoff until the former financier was arrested in December 2008 for running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme, a federal watchdog said in a report released on Friday.

British oil major BP Plc told the UK government two years ago that slow progress in concluding a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya threatened a multi-billion dollar exploration deal it was negotiating.

Money managers were mostly net long on major U.S. commodities in the week to September 1, according to a government report issued on Friday to increase transparency on hedge fund bets in the markets.

Marvel Entertainment Inc would have to pay the Walt Disney Co a termination fee of $140 million if it terminates a proposed merger with Disney, according to a securities filing on Friday.

Top U.S. network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc cut year-end bonuses to its senior executives this year as a tough economy hurt the company's revenue, according to a regulatory filing.

Shares of memory chip developer Rambus Inc rose 8 percent on Friday on speculation that Samsung Electronics would buy the company, but Samsung said it had no such plans.

Blank-check company Orbit Acquisition Corp withdrew its filing for an initial public offering on Friday, citing market conditions in a letter to U.S. regulators.

Independent oil exploration company Cobalt International Energy Inc became the latest private equity-owned company to seek to raise money in an initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

Avaya Inc is not the sole bidder for the Nortel Networks Corp business that builds networks for large corporate clients, the bankrupt Canadian telecom equipment maker said on Friday.

The World Trade Organization ruled on Friday that European loans for Airbus were illegal subsidies under world trade rules, U.S. lawmakers said, but European sources said Washington did not win a sweeping victory.

Google Inc made its fortune on Internet search ads, but Wall Street is increasingly eager for signs that the company's other money-making bets will pay off.

U.S. job losses fell to their lowest level in a year last month, but the unemployment rate jumped to a 26-year high, painting a mixed picture of an economic recovery hindered by weakness in the labor market.

Tens of thousands of Han Chinese demonstrated on Thursday in central city of Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang province, calling for the resignation of the region's leader, Wang Lequan, who has held the post for 14 years.

The Associated Press's decision to release a photo of a dying U.S. Mariner taken in Afghanistan drew lots of controversies in the United States.

California solar company Solyndra Inc said on Friday that it started construction on its second solar panel manufacturing plant, putting into action the first loan guarantee awarded under a long-delayed U.S. program for advanced clean energy.

Hitch-hikers have always used their thumbs to get a ride. Now a new invention aims to update the technique -- allowing mobile phone users to dial-a-driver.

Author Jeff Lindsay found inspiration for a novel about a good serial killer in the fake smiles and insincere handshakes of people at a civic group meeting who, he thought, might want to kill each other.

New data from the Boston mutual fund giant shows a rise in how often it voted against management proposals in the just-concluded proxy season. It also opposed company pay plans and the election of company directors more frequently.

The World Trade Organization ruled on Friday that European loans for Airbus were illegal subsidies under world trade rules, U.S. lawmakers said, but European sources said Washington did not win a sweeping victory.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday as investors focused on the bright side of a mixed payrolls report that showed smaller-than-expected job cuts in August, although the unemployment rate hit a 26-year high.

The famous couple in the entertainment industry was praised in Vanity Fair's

U.S. stocks ended higher on Friday as investors focused on the bright side of a mixed payrolls report that showed smaller-than-expected job cuts in August, even though the unemployment rate hit a 26-year high.

The number of rigs drilling for natural gas in the United States rose two this week to 701, the seventh straight weekly gain after sinking in mid-July to the lowest level in more than seven years, according to a report on Friday by Baker Hughes in Houston.

The world should widen a fight against global warming by curbing a string of pollutants other than carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, the U.N. Environment Programme said on Friday.

U.S. temporary staffing -- historically one of the first areas to show evidence of a jobs recovery -- appears to have hit bottom, but questions remain how long it will stay there.

The Securities and Exchange Commission should overhaul management and take advantage of the hungry, experienced lawyers it employs, so that when the nextBernard Madoff is staring in its face, it will catch him.

Motorola Inc needs to spark some serious gadget lust next week when it unveils new phones to convince consumers and Wall Street that it's still a player in the global mobile industry, but the odds may be heavily stacked against it.

Bermuda reinsurer Validus Holdings won shareholder support for its $1.77 billion acqusition of rival IPC Holdings on Friday, and moved swiftly to close a deal that was months in the making.