IBT Staff Reporter

Fifteen years ago, a growing sense of isolation due to old age prompted Kayoko Okawa, then 66, to knock on the door of a local volunteer center and timidly ask if it was possible for someone her age to start an online community for seniors.

Hewlett-Packard Co has filed a case in a U.S. court against AU Optronics, saying the Taiwanese company conspired to fix the prices of thin film liquid crystal display panels, court documents showed.

U.S. East Coast was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 on Tuesday that some in New York and Washington briefly mistook for a terrorist attack.

Moody's Investors Service cut its rating on Japan's government debt by one notch to Aa3 on Wednesday, blaming a build-up of debt since the 2009 global recession and revolving-door political leadership that has hampered effective economic strategies.

U.S. shares were set to fall Wednesday, giving up some of the hefty gains of the previous session, which were based on hopes that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will announce measures to stimulate the economy

China COSCO Holdings <1919.HK> <601919.SS>, the country's top shipping company, sought to reassure investors on Wednesday that negotiations with shipowners over unpaid bills would be resolved and its business remained strong.

Taiwan's Acer Inc reported a worse-than-expected quarterly loss, the first in company history, hurt by charges for an inventory write-off and reorganization, and said it would be impossible to break even for the full year.

NASA's human-like 300-pound robot, Robonaut 2 or R2, which reached the International Space Station six months ago to act as an astronaut's assistant, has been powered up for the first time.

WPP, the world's largest advertising group, expects to feel the impact of the economic slowdown in 2012, it warned on Wednesday, as it reported strong first half results bolstered by emerging markets and digital.

A California woman tossed her 7-month-old baby from the fourth floor of a hospital parking garage, police say.

Taiwan's Acer Inc reported a worse-than-expected quarterly loss, the first in its company history, hurt by one off charges.

Like the concept of circles in Google+, users in Facebook can choose who can see their posts and what part of their profile they want to make visible to their friends and to the broader web.

World stocks fell on Wednesday as European investors shuffled positions ahead of a Jackson Hole speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Japanese shares sold off following a Moody's downgrade.

WPP Plc, the world's largest advertising group, said it would plan for 2012 on a conservative basis, although strength in emerging markets has so far helped it to post 7-month growth broadly in line with its annual forecast.

BHP Billiton reported a record second-half profit driven largely by iron ore, but just missed market forecasts and sounded a warning over costs and longer-term demand.

China's Commerce Ministry said it had not received an application for regulatory approval from Google Inc on its planned $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings.

The Group of 20 leading and emerging nations has not done enough to correct global imbalances, and this could provoke more financial instability, a top Bank of Canada official said Wednesday.

The Group of 20 leading and emerging nations has not done enough to correct global imbalances and this could provoke more financial instability, a top Bank of Canada official said on Wednesday.

New research indicates that a cholesterol-friendly diet rich in soy products and tree nuts can decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) more effectively than a low-saturated-fat diet.

Samsung Electronics unveiled four new smartphone models under its flagship Galaxy line on Wednesday, expanding its offerings of cheaper phones to tap growth in emerging markets.

European shares may rise on Wednesday on speculation the Federal Reserve may signal further policy moves to support the struggling U.S. economy, even as a rally in Asian stock spluttered out.

Chinese social-networking site Renren said Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Microsoft's joint venture instant messaging firm, MSN, to cooperate in areas of instant messaging and social networking.

U.S. tech giant Hewlett-Packard Co has filed a case against AU Optronics, saying the Taiwanese company conspired to fix the prices of thin film liquid crystal display panels, court documents show.

Chinese social-networking site Renren said on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Microsoft's joint venture instant messaging firm, MSN, to cooperate in areas of instant messaging and social networking.

If doubts about U.S. government credit quality and the country's long-term growth horizon have seen its 10-year borrowing costs fall by a third, it's a wonder anyone pays heed to ideas of unsustainable sovereign debts.

Asian shares fell on Wednesday as a rally fueled by speculation that the Federal Reserve may signal further moves to support the struggling U.S. economy swiftly petered out, while gold rebounded from its sharpest one-day slide in 18 months.

Singer George Michael told fans that he has split with longtime partner Kenny Goss. The couple went their separate ways more than two years ago but kept news of their separation under wraps.

Moody's Investors Service cut its rating on Japan's government debt by one notch to AA3 on Wednesday, blaming a build-up of debt since the 2009 global recession and the revolving-door leadership that has hampered effective economic strategies.

The job market might be tight for everyone, but when it comes to women working in the television industry, times are especially tough.