IBT Staff Reporter

The pace of U.S. private sector job growth slowed in August for the second month in a row, but factory activity in the Chicago area continued to expand, suggesting the economy would dodge a recession.

Tropical Storm Katia strengthened rapidly on Wednesday, approaching hurricane status, but it was too soon to tell whether it would threaten land in the Caribbean or the United States.

Samsung's flagship Galaxy S2, touted as the next iPhone killer, is rolling out a white version, again, setting its sight on countering Apple's white iPhone.

Texas juror Jonathan Hudson has plead guilty to contempt of court after trying to befriend the defendant of the case, Courtney Downing.

The United States could be worse than 40 other countries when it comes to infant mortality. New research done by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that babies under four weeks old account for 41 percent of child deaths worldwide.

Bailiffs raided BP's Moscow offices Wednesday, causing new problems for the British oil company a day after ExxonMobil signed a deal that ended BP's hopes of developing Arctic offshore oil fields with Russia.

Stocks extended gains on Wednesday after data showed new orders for factory goods rose more than expected in July.

Here are Indicators that the morale of the American consumer is at its lowest in years.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will not be rushed into revising the controversial false-start rule that sent Usain Bolt crashing out of the world championships 100 meters, a top official said on Wednesday.

The New York Yankees enjoyed a rare success over bitter rivals the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the 5-2 victory in a hot-tempered affair enabling the visitors to tighten the battle for supremacy in the American League East.

Carrefour , Europe's No.1 retailer, warned 2011 profits would slump 15 percent as it cuts prices in a bid to reverse falling market share and tackle an increasingly tough economic environment.

Serena Williams was on her best behavior and ominously close to her top form when she made her long-awaited appearance at the U.S. Open Tuesday.

New Jersey Transit has restored Northeast Corridor service, finally ending more than three days of suspended service due to Hurricane Irene. Officials warned riders to expect delays of up to 45 minutes because of ongoing signal problems from flooding in Trenton.

Global investors slashed their holdings of equities below 50 percent this month and piled into cash, reflecting what was lining up to be the worst August for world stocks since 1998.

Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are seemingly not the only ones sick of the sight of Novak Djokovic and his domination of men's tennis.

George Clooney explores the dirty side of politics in The Ides of March, the opening movie at the Venice film festival in which an aide to a Democratic presidential candidate learns how dispensable ideals can be.

Euro zone countries are discussing ways to charge fees on any collateral Greece would use to back bailout loans, an approach that could resolve a nasty row over a second rescue package, Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter told Reuters.

Husband and wife songwriting team Marilyn and Alan Bergman have won three Academy Awards and two Grammys, but their biggest reward in a long career just may be writing for Barbra Streisand.

NASA's Juno spacecraft took a photo of the Earth from six million miles away.

The number of planned layoffs at U.S. firms declined 23 percent in August after rising for three straight months, with the government sector again leading the job cuts, a report showed on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 was set to rise about 1 percent at the open on Wednesday, as the previous day's comments from Federal Reserve officials heightened hopes of further monetary stimulus to boost the economy.

The outnumbering demand for HP’s TouchPad, after the company slashed its price to $100 seems to indicate a clear strategy to all the iPad foes to beat the undefeated tablet.

SEI Investments published a report saying fund managers and investors are relieved to see unmistakable signs of a recovery.

Telecommunications giant AT&T Inc, whose proposed buy of T-Mobile USA is under scrutiny by U.S. regulators, promised to bring 5,000 wireless call-center jobs back to the United States if the deal wins approval.

Joe Jonas has been experiencing a busy year. The middle Jonas brother has gone solo in a side project. With an album and tour coming up within a few weeks, it seems crazy to think that the 22 year-old also has a new film in the works. The star has two roles in the project--actor and producer. Joe Jonas is truly living the fast life.

Global Trust of Nigeria could be using Uganda as a testing ground for its Shariah Law-compliant products and services.

Stock index futures gained on Wednesday on comments from Federal Reserve officials that boosted hopes of more monetary stimulus and as investors awaited data for a better assessment on the economy, including the weak labor sector.

Land Rover will gauge consumer reaction to the DC100 as a way to decide the potential future direction of the iconic Defender.

The leader of the Liberals, a party reduced to also-ran status in the May federal election, on Tuesday rebuffed the idea of an alliance with their left-of-center rivals, even as a former party leader touted a merger as the only way the left would win back power.