IBT Staff Reporter

Many European cities have the bad reputation of being expensive to visit. And when you plan to see as much as you can during your vacation, the entrance fees really add up.

Oil prices surged to a seven-month high near $72 a barrel on Wednesday after a U.S. government report showed a slowdown in crude imports eating away at inventories in the world's top energy user.

Bone churches, more accurately called

Stocks fell on Wednesday on worry that rising interest rates could put a damper on consumer and business spending.

France's top constitutional court on Wednesday seriously weakened a law backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy that was aimed at punishing Internet pirates.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday the Obama administration wants to give the Securities and Exchange Commission power to give shareholders a stronger say over executive pay.

Google Inc has received formal notice from the U.S. Justice Department that antitrust investigators are looking into its settlement with publishers that would help make millions of books available online.

Stocks fell on Wednesday on worry that rising interest rates could put a damper on consumer and business spending.

A U.S. money manager who ran a financial planning firm has been arrested on charges of defrauding clients of more than $6 million by stealing from their accounts, authorities said on Wednesday.

Shares of U.S. auto suppliers rose sharply on Wednesday as news that Italian automaker Fiat SpA had completed the purchase of Chrysler LLC's strongest assets erased fears that the U.S. car maker could face liquidation if the deal did not go through.

Microsoft Corp is getting ready to unveil a long-anticipated free anti-virus service for PCs that will compete with products sold by Symantec Corp and McAfee Inc.

The global economic slowdown has claimed another victim: energy use. Consumption of primary energy around the world last year grew by the smallest amount since 2001 while the U.S. saw its steepest drop in 27 years, according to a report released Wednesday by British oil giant BP.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday the Obama administration wants Congress to pass new laws giving securities regulators power to force companies to let shareholders have more say in setting executive pay levels.

U.S. demand for residential solar power installations is surging despite an economic recession, thanks to government financial incentives, some easing in credit availability, and increasing public recognition of its environmental benefits, industry executives said on Tuesday.

The European Commission said Wednesday it has decided to impose a fine of €20 million ($28 million) on Electrabel for acquiring control of Compagnie Nationale du Rhone (CNR) without prior commission approval.

“The worst is to come” as commercial mortgage defaults will rise in the two or three years after the current economic slowdown ends, the chief investment officer at U.S. insurer and financial services provider Metlife Inc said on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.

Home Depot Inc raised its 2009 profit forecast as the biggest home-improvement chain said Wednesday it sees better margins this year through improved efficiencies.

Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, said on Wednesday the government is not trying to cap executive pay following the proposals it made on pay packages.

Job-seekers are using unusual gimmicks to grab the attention of potential employers, such as in one case sending a shoe along with a resume to get a foot in the door, said a survey released on Wednesday.

As the financial crisis continues to dampen the global economy, a popular online microlender to third world countries, Kiva.org, has now begun to offer loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Stocks fell on Wednesday, dragged down by consumer, technology and industrial issues, after oil surged to a 7-month high, triggering worries it may curtail spending.

A plaque on the wall of the guard booth at the gate of the Pearl Continental Hotel in the Pakistani city of Peshawar reads: This hotel is protected by latest security system.

A former U.S. State Department official and his wife, accused of spying for the Cuban government for nearly 30 years, were ordered Wednesday to be kept in jail until their trial.

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, dragged down by consumer, technology and industrial issues, after oil surged to a 7-month high, triggering worries it may curtail spending.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday the Obama administration wants to give the Securities and Exchange Commission power to give shareholders a stronger say over executive pay.

For many people, sampling local food is the most important part of travel. For others it’s the bane of their trip, a massive stress that leads them all over their chosen countries in search of a familiar lunch.

Upmarket online fashion retailer Net-A-Porter.com reported a more than 230 percent rise in 2008 profit after developing strong relationships with luxury fashion houses and new and existing clients.

“The worst is to come” as commercial mortgage defaults will rise in the two or three years after the current economic slowdown ends, the chief investment officer at U.S. insurer and financial services provider Metlife Inc said on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.

The Obama administration on Wednesday will name a pay czar with the power to reject compensation plans for top employees at companies receiving exceptional government aid, an administration official said on Wednesday.