IBT Staff Reporter

The pace of growth in the services sector ticked down unexpectedly in July to the lowest level since February 2010, while the number of jobs created by the private sector also slowed, separate reports showed on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 fell to a new low for the year on Wednesday as service sector growth was less robust than expected in July, another discouraging sign for the economy.

U.S. private employers added 114,000 jobs in July, topping economists' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

Private employers added 114,000 jobs in July, topping economists' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

A New Orleans jury began deliberating Wednesday after shootings occurred when a dozen officers responded to a radio call that police had been fired on and that the shooters were headed toward the Danziger Bridge, just days after the Hurricane Katrina storm.

Internet Explorer IQ study was likely a hoax.

The credit ratings of most Asian nations remain sound despite the debt problems in Europe and the United States, with the notable exception of Japan, a senior official at Standard and Poor's ratings agency said on Wednesday.

Jay-Z and Kanye West have been celebrating the launch of their 'Watch the Throne' album in New York City. The pair - who joined forces to create the album, which is set to be released on August 8 - were partying all night to their own tracks.

Wall Street equity futures rose on Wednesday, indicating the market may snap its longest losing streak since October 2008, as investors awaited data on the labor market.

The European Union voiced support for Italy and Spain under attack on financial markets but acknowledged that investors now doubt whether the euro zone can overcome its sovereign debt woes.

Here are photos from the exclusive Vanity Fair photo shoot and pass covers Jennifer Lopez has been on!

"Gotti" is being directed by Barry Levinston who also directed "Rain Man" and "Tin Men." He finds Foster to be a very promising actor. He described him as "one of the few young actors who can literary transform himself from role to role, from light comedy to a deadly gunslinger... I think he can bring something very memorable to the role of Gotti Jr."

New York slugger Mark Teixeira hit home runs from both sides of the plate for the 12th game of his career to set a new Major League record in the Yankees' 6-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox Tuesday.

Mobile developers more than ever want to devote their energies to writing apps for Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms at the expense of their less popular rivals, a study released on Wednesday showed.

President Barack Obama suffered a defeat in the battle over raising the U.S. debt limit that may have repercussions for his efforts to restore growth to the U.S. economy and win re-election in 2012.

The United States had its triple-A rating confirmed by two key ratings agencies on Tuesday after Washington struck a last-minute deal to avoid a debt default, but threats of future downgrades remain.

The chaotic and often ugly debt-ceiling talks managed to avert a potential economic catastrophe but inflicted new damage to the political reputations of most of the key players.

The United States stepped back from the brink of default on Tuesday but congressional approval of a last-ditch deficit-cutting plan failed to dispel fears of a credit downgrade and future tax and spending feuds.

U.S. and European automakers better watch their rear-view mirrors as competition from Chinese rivals will result in a day of reckoning down the road, the head of Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC said on Wednesday.

Wall Street equity futures were set for a higher open on Wednesday as buyers looked to halt the market's longest losing streak since October 2008 after a better-than-expected reading on the labor market.

A recent study published on Wednesday suggests that two strains of Salmonella are resistant to multiple antibiotic treatment drugs as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Food Safety and Inspection Service investigate a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella poisoning linked to ground turkey.

China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's No. 2 network equipment maker, launched its cloud computing smartphones on Wednesday, looking to ride a mobile industry boom that drove a 64 percent sales rise in its devices unit in the first half.

India's task of sparing themselves the blushes against England has received a blow after both Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were ruled out of the remainder of the four-match test series.

Three small rivals have dropped their antitrust complaints against International Business Machines Corp that had triggered one of two investigations by EU regulators into IBM's business practices.

The couple and Prince Harry flew budget airlines from Edinburgh

Recently, Linda Evangelista revealed the identity of her 4 year-old son's father. He just so happens to be Salma Hayek's husband--Francois Henri Pinault. "Francois' relationship with Linda was brief. They dated for three months in 2005. He didn't even meet Salma until April of 2006," a source clarified when it may have seemed as if Pinault had an affair with Evangelista while still with Hayek. "Linda didn't even tell Francois she was pregnant until the 8th month," a d...

Italy sought European political support on Wednesday as its stocks and bonds gained some respite from a selloff triggered by the euro zone's unresolved debt crisis and fears of a global economic slowdown.

Comcast Corp's quarterly earnings beat Wall Street expectations on a better-than-expected rise in Internet and phone subscribers and advertising sales growth at its NBC Universal joint venture.

Wall Street equity futures added to their gains on Wednesday after a reading on private sector employment came in stronger than expected.