IBT Staff Reporter

Russia opposes new sanctions against North Korea and believes that imposing sanctions would be counterproductive, the Russian foreign minister said Wednesday.

What's better than listening to a $20 relaxation CD at home? Having a relaxing massage for half the price on a white-sand beach. Boracay, one of the most commercialized islands of the Philippines, is a seven-kilometer-long paradise island where tourists flock to

France's parliament rejected a bill on Thursday that proposed disconnecting Internet users if they download music or films illegally, with the ruling UMP party failing to turn out in force to approve the law.

If I had a nickel for every time I said ‘hello’ in response to one of my students in the lunchroom, well, let’s just say it would solve a lot of my problems. Since those coins aren’t showing up on my doorstop anytime soon, I’m slogging through the days teaching English in rural Korea.

Oil prices rose more than 3.5 percent on Thursday, fueled by a rally on Wall Street and data showing that the number of workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week.

Stocks rallied on Thursday as Wells Fargo gave preliminary first-quarter results that were stronger than expected, providing a ray of hope in the struggling financial sector.

American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has won a cybersquatting case against a U.S. web operator who registered two Internet addresses that used her name for commercial profit, a U.N. agency said on Thursday.

President Barack Obama plans to meet on Friday with top financial regulators to sketch out the next steps to take with the stress tests being conducted at the 19 biggest U.S. banks, a source familiar with the meeting said on Thursday.

U.S. President Barack Obama encouraged Americans on Thursday to take advantage of historically low mortgage rates and said his administration was rolling out further phases of its plan to address the housing crisis.

Stocks jumped on Thursday as Wells Fargo gave preliminary first-quarter results that were stronger than expected, providing relief to the troubled financial sector.

Oil prices rose more than 3 percent on Thursday, fueled by a rally on Wall Street and better-than-expected U.S. jobs data.

Barclays Plc has agreed to sell its iShares asset management business to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for 3 billion pounds ($4.4 billion), but kept the right to hunt for a better deal for two months.

Many U.S. retailers posted smaller-than-expected sales declines for March in a sign that shoppers may be regaining confidence to open their wallets after more than a year of recession.

Stronger emerging economies are likely to pull further ahead from weaker peers following the moves by global leaders to augment the lending capacity of the International Monetary Fund.

U.S. officials will not look to close any banks based on the results of stress tests being conducted to determine how the largest U.S. banks would fare under more adverse economic conditions, a source familiar with official talks said on Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp plans to announce a major overhaul of its U.S. operations, bringing sales, manufacturing and engineering under one powerful executive, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc said on Thursday that it planned to buy privately held Tidal Software Inc for about $105 million in cash and incentives, to bolster its range of products and services for corporate data centers.

Volkswagen AG could launch the Up! mini-car in the United States, the German automaker's U.S. Chief Executive Stefan Jacoby said on Wednesday.

Fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services Ltd's annual revenues appear to be about $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion, three sources who have analysed data provided by the outsourcing firm to bidders said on Thursday.

Most U.S. retailers posted lower March sales at stores open at least a year, as shoppers remained focused on necessities and put off spring purchases because of a later Easter holiday this year.

Wells Fargo & Co said it expects to post a $3 billion first-quarter profit, sending its shares soaring, lifting a wide range of stocks, and providing a welcome jolt to the troubled banking sector.

Private equity house CVC Partners will pick up a rare commodity if it pulls off a purchase of Barclays' iShares exchange traded fund (ETF) unit, which analysts say has strong growth potential.

A spate of bossnappings by French workers has put President Nicolas Sarkozy in a tight spot, caught between the need to enforce the law and the risk of exacerbating unrest during the economic downturn.

Oil rose above $52 a barrel on Thursday as rallies on global stock markets revived thoughts of economic recovery and subsequent increased demand for oil.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will inaugurate the country's first nuclear fuel production complex later on Thursday, an Iranian official told Reuters.

President Barack Obama set up an executive office for healthcare reform at the White House on Wednesday, saying the overhaul was one of the biggest priorities for the first year of his presidency.

Taxi drivers joined growing anti-government protests in Thailand on Thursday, blocking roads and causing gridlock across Bangkok, as supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra threatened to disrupt an Asian summit.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will inaugurate the country's first nuclear fuel production complex later on Thursday, an Iranian official told Reuters.

Stocks added to gains on Thursday, sending the S&P 500 and Nasdaq up more than 3 percent, as surprisingly upbeat preliminary quarterly results from Wells Fargo fueled hopes that stabilization may be returning in the banking sector.