IBT Staff Reporter

A three-day disruption of BlackBerry services spread to North America on Wednesday, frustrating millions of users of the Research In Motion smartphones and putting more pressure on the company for sweeping changes.

A three-day disruption of BlackBerry services spread to North America on Wednesday, frustrating millions of users of the Research In Motion smartphones and putting more pressure on the company for sweeping changes.

The Psych gang makes a welcome return on Wednesday night with another season rife with rapid-fire pop culture references, more guest stars than Love Boat and ... pretend psychic Shawn Spencer (James Roday) being exposed?

The number of jobs waiting to be filled fell in August, underscoring the pain in the labor market where millions of unemployed workers have been shut out of the economic recovery.

Stocks extended their recent rally on Wednesday, with the Dow industrials back in positive territory for the year and the S&P 500 briefly rising 2 percent as the euro-zone rescue fund was set to get approval from all EU members.

ABC's plan for a Tuesday night comedy block is off to a good start as Tim Allen's Last Man Standing premiered to solid numbers.

Samsung Electronics Co said on Wednesday it will soon release upgraded versions of three Galaxy smartphones in Europe to get around temporary sales bans on earlier versions of products that violated an Apple patent.

The deal negotiated by Chrysler and the United Auto Workers includes a boost in hourly wages, additional bonuses, and an agreement by the company to bring over 2,000 jobs to the United States.

For every Apple iPad sold in the United States, the U.S. trade deficit with China increases by about $275.

Flight attendants prepare to walk out of Air Canada Thursday morning, although the Labour Minister told the media that the government will block the strike.

Next year, NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour will move from Los Angeles to retire at the California Science Center. At 122 feet, the Endeavour was built 20 years ago and is now the last shuttle to fly a mission into space.

The world's largest virus has been discovered off the coast of Las Cruces, Chile. Appropriately named Megavirus chilensis, it is about 10 to 20 times larger than the average virus and 6.5% bigger than its nearest competitor, the Mimivirus. The Megavirus measures about .7 micrometers (thousandths of a millimeter) in diameter and is an oddity among its virus brethren, which are usually smaller than bacteria.

Parties in Slovakia's fallen government struck a deal with the leftist opposition on Wednesday to ratify a plan to bolster the euro zone's rescue fund by Friday, effectively ending a crisis that had threatened the currency's main safety net.

Euro zone countries will ask banks to accept losses of up to 50 percent on their holdings of Greek debt, officials said on Wednesday, as part of a grand plan to avert a disorderly default and stem a crisis that threatens the world economy.

Solyndra, the solar panel maker that collapsed despite a U.S. government infusion of $535 million, wants to appoint a high-profile bankruptcy expert to run it after the departure of its chief executive.

Stocks extended their recent rally on Wednesday, with the Dow industrials back in positive territory for the year as the euro-zone rescue fund was set to get approval from all EU members.

A three-day disruption to BlackBerry services spread to North America on Wednesday, frustrating users of the Research In Motion devices just two days before rival Apple's new iPhone 4S goes on sale.

The Nigeria naira firmed sharply against the greenback on Wednesday after the central bank pumped dollars into the market and cleared all forex demand at its bi-weekly auction, signalling its determination to support the local currency.

South Africa could use its foreign exchange reserves if necessary to relieve market stress caused by global turmoil, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks extended their recent rally on Wednesday, with the Dow industrials rising back into positive territory for the year, as the euro-zone rescue fund was set to get approval from all EU members.

A British government minister sharply criticised Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday and said it would be premature for Commonwealth leaders to hold out an olive branch to Zimbabwe when they meet later this month.

Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has a narrow vote lead over her main presidential rival Winston Tubman, according to a tally by a local independent media group of ballot slips counted so far on Wednesday.

Fighters loyal to deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are now holding out in just two small pockets of his home town Sirte on Wednesday, government commanders said after making gains overnight.

Canon has so far seen no downturn in sales sparked by the European financial crisis, but cannot predict its effect on the year-end shopping season, the company's chief financial officer told Reuters on Wednesday.

The Nigerian man accused of trying to use a bomb in his underwear to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day 2009 pleaded guilty on Wednesday to all charges against him and warned the United States could face a great calamity.

Stock exchanges from six of the world's largest emerging markets will join forces to cross-list equity indexes derivatives, to target investor demand for fast-growing economies.

The recent weakness of the rand will benefit South African exporters and is positive for the economy, the treasurer general of the ruling African National Congress said on Wednesday.

In an updated statement filed with the SEC, News Corp. says the board is adequately addressing the phone-hacking scandal and is delivering money to shareholders.

In a restaurant in the once bustling Hamidiyah souk of the old city of Damascus, waiters prepare to serve a handful of customers in an ornate room with many empty tables. A singer now performs there weekly, instead of every day.