IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. securities regulators are closing a long-running investigation into allegations that two well-known hedge funds conspired to spread negative information about Toronto insurer Fairfax Financial, two people familiar with the inquiry said.

Canadian housing starts slumped last month, hurt by weakness in the condominium sector, in the latest sign that a property boom fueled by low interest rates is under pressure from global economic uncertainty.

Risks to Canada's financial stability rose sharply in the second half of the year largely because of the European sovereign debt crisis, even though domestic banks remain stronger than in most other countries, the Bank of Canada said on Thursday.

Zynga Inc Chief Executive Mark Pincus on Thursday told a group of potential investors that the social games company could double the number of its paying players.

European Union leaders gathered on Thursday for a critical two-day summit focused on trying to find a solution to the euro zone debt crisis.

Russia's top social networking site on Thursday defiantly rejected a request by the Federal Security Service to block opposition groups from using it to organize street protests accusing the authorities of rigging this week's election.

Japan offered a heartfelt apology for the systematic mistreatment of Canadian prisoners during World War Two, helping to heal ties between the two nations, Ottawa said on Thursday.

Most U.S. motorists surveyed acknowledged few situations in which they would not use a cell phone or text while behind the wheel although they support measures to curb both practices, data released on Thursday by the Transportation Department showed.

The following comments were made on Thursday at a House Agriculture Committee hearing to examine the bankruptcy of MF Global. It was the first hearing to bring the major players together since the firm's collapse.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) does not yet have a ratified labor agreement but the league moved full speed ahead Tuesday by announcing a provisional schedule.

The new screen adaptation of John le Carre's classic spy novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy should be rated S for Wear a sweater.

Twitter revamped its website on Thursday to make the microblogging service easier to use and to help companies better showcase their brands.

U.S. securities regulators are closing a long-running investigation into allegations that two well-known hedge funds conspired to spread negative information about Toronto insurer Fairfax Financial, two people familiar with the inquiry said.

The contract that established Apple as a corporate entity in 1976 and another document, signed 11 days later, that removed one of the partners are expected to fetch up to $150,000 when they are auctioned next week by Sotheby's.

The contract that established Apple as a corporate entity in 1976 and another document, signed 11 days later, that removed one of the partners are expected to fetch up to $150,000 when they are auctioned next week by Sotheby's.

Wall Street fell on Thursday, dragged down by financial stocks, after the European Central Bank tempered hopes that policymakers were readying a financial bazooka to contain the debt crisis.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he was very concerned about the euro zone crisis and believed the European Union had the resources to solve it if leaders could find the political will.

European Union leaders gathered on Thursday for a critical two-day summit focused on trying to find a solution to the euro zone debt crisis.

Jon Huntsman, who continues to lag in national polls but has staked his campaign on a strong finish in New Hampshire, came out on Thursday with a seven-point plan to restore trust in Washington. He cast himself as the only Republican candidate capable of doing so.

Daily deals site LivingSocial is raising a targeted $400 million in a private offering of which over $176 million of that amount has already been raised, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

U.S. companies sat on their largest pile of cash on record during the third quarter, providing a substantial buffer against any blow that might come from Europe's debt crisis, data from the Federal Reserve showed on Thursday.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged private industry to protect Internet freedoms Thursday, saying it was vital to promote online rights amid restrictions in Russia, Syria and China.

Wachovia Bank, owned by Wells Fargo & Co, agreed to pay $148 million in a settlement with state and federal authorities over allegations of bid-rigging and other abuses in the municipal bond derivatives market.

Google does not work with nor does it support Carrier IQ, the software maker which has been accused of violating millions of mobile phone users' privacy rights, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said on Thursday.

AT&T, the second largest U.S. wireless carrier, is on track to smash record smartphone sales in the fourth quarter as the company revealed on Wednesday that it has already sold six million smartphones in the first two months.

Former MF Global chief Jon Corzine apologized to those harmed by the brokerage firm's collapse, but said he didn't directly manage customer funds and doesn't know where the missing money is.

What do you call it when someone pretends to apologize, and seems to be apologizing, but in reality is doing the exact opposite of apologizing?

It's one thing to make a bawdy and tasteless comedy if you're going to commit to making a bawdy and tasteless comedy. But The Sitter wants to have its urinal cake and eat it too, pushing the envelope of taste one minute and then delivering maudlin little life lessons the next.

Metaio, one of the leaders in augmented reality technology, on Thursday opened its platform to chipset vendors and software developers for free, hoping to boost its position in the emerging sector.