IBT Staff Reporter

Bill Gates said a teary goodbye on Friday to Microsoft Corp, the software maker he built into the world's most valuable technology company based on the ambitious goal of placing a computer on every desk and in every home.

Consumers banked a big portion of their tax rebate checks last month, giving them enough cushion to keep spending for a few more months and perhaps postponing a recession that once seemed inevitable.

Crude futures soared above $142 a barrel on Friday following a steep decline on U.S. stock markets that triggered investments into the commodity sector.

Twenty finalists for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards' have been enlisted by the Academy of Television, Art and Sciences on Thursday in the categories of comedy and drama series.

Republican John McCain told Ohio autoworkers on Friday he supports free-trade agreements while many of them say cost American jobs in a time of economy slow down.

Gold futures rose above $930 an ounce on Friday to the highest price in a month as crude oil hit a record high and the U.S. dollar continued to weaken, boosting the investment appeal of the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took the first step together in uniting the Democrat party since the divisive Democratic primary race ended, with a joint appearance on Friday in the aptly named New Hampshire town of Unity.

Morgan Stanley may have its long-term credit rating cut by Moody's Investors Service, the ratings agency said on Friday.

Madonna counseled with divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton to split from her husband, the film director Guy Ritchie, according to a report of the London Times Online yesterday.

American International Group Inc will accept up to $5 billion in losses from sales of investments from a dozen insurance units after they suffered $13 billion in writedowns linked to the collapsed subprime mortgage market.

Critics have praised Wall-E as a contender for the best movie of 2008 as it opens this today in the United States.

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will appear together later today at a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, a town where they tied in the January primary with 107 votes each.

Bank of America Corp. said it will complete its purchase of Countrywide Financial Corp by July 1 and then cut 7,500 jobs as part of the combination of the companies.

U.S. stocks were mixed in morning trading on Friday, failing to post a significant rebound a day after the Dow suffered its second-worst percentage loss of the year and closed at its weakest level in 21 months while key inflation gauge showed signs that consumer spending surged in May.

Gold futures surged the most in two years as weakness in the U.S. dollar boosted the investment appeal for the precious metal, causing prices to lift nearly 4 percent.

* Natural gas spot price movements were mixed this report week (Wednesday–Wednesday, June 18-25), with price decreases generally occurring in producing areas in the Gulf of Mexico region and price increases at n

U.S. stocks tumbled sharply on Thursday with the Dow dropping to its worst level since September 2006 on a series of downgrades from Goldman Sachs while shares of Citigroup Inc. and General Motors hit its lowest levels in more than nine years.

President Bush said Thursday he will lift key trade sanctions against North Korea and remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist, a remarkable turnaround in policy toward the communist regime he once branded as part of an axis of evil.

Israel closed its border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as doubts intensified over a rocket fired by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, breaching a week-old ceasefire agreement.

Gold futures gained in electronic trading on Wednesday afternoon in New York, after ending lower at the close of trade when the Federal Reserve announced its decision to keep interest rates steady as inflation concerns rise.

U.S. stocks held onto most of its gains on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve decided to end its string of interest rate cuts and maintain rates at 2 percent as inflation concerns rise.

Frugal drivers these days scour the roads for gasoline under $4.00 per gallon in the hopes of getting the most from their fill-up dollar. But it’s not just the amount of gasoline per dollar that matters anymore. Attention has increasingly

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai briefly left the sanctuary of the Dutch Embassy on Wednesday, expressing willingness to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe in efforts quell recent political turmoil.

MasterCard Inc will pay American Express Co. up to $1.8 billion in a settlement that drops a lawsuit alleging that MasterCard had illegally blocked financial firms from providing American Express cards.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday on speculation that weaker consumer confidence and a record plunge in home prices will ensure the Federal Reserve to maintain interest rates at current levels, while United Parcel Service set new multiyear low.

Most U.S. stocks dropped during afternoon trading on Monday as crude oil prices rose while the outlook for bank earnings lowered.

World wine producers face rising challenges from global warming and soaring fuel costs but any resulting price rises will be bearable, the newly re-elected head of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) said on Friday.

Big business is officially going solar.

The Mississippi River's crest rolled downstream on Friday, submerging small towns and some of the U.S. Midwest's most fertile farm fields with a relentless flow as people and industry struggled to cope with the effects of the worst flooding in 15 years.