IBT Staff Reporter

Italy's austerity budget passed its first parliamentary hurdle Thursday but the opposition says Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government is in a shambles and should resign after it is finally approved.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 will be seen in over 11,000 screens, in over 4,000 locations. It has broken the record for highest pre-opening ticket sales with $32 million already spent. Of course, fans every where have already purchased their ticket and will be lining up outside theatres tonight to watch the franchise's last film.

A new rumor circulating the web sphere says that Apple will be launching the next generation of iPhone, the iPhone 5, on both T-Mobile and Sprint networks.

After two exhausting days of search for the eight-year-old boy, Leiby Kletzky's dismembered body was found by authorities in two locations in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Kletzky's funeral on Thursday drew thousands of people. Levi Aron, 35, will be in court Thursday, charged with second-degree murder of Leiby Kletzky.

Hugh Hefner, DEAD? Rumors of the Hef's demise proved yesterday that 2011 is the year of the hoax.

According to one report, consumers will have to wait one more day for the Mac OS X Lion

Late Tuesday, Netflix announced that it would raise the Internet plus DVDs in the mail plan from $9.99 per month to $15.98 per month. This decision has caused a huge customer backlash. Why did Netflix raise the price despite widespread customer discontent?

A 53-hour halt will occur this weekend for Los Angeles residents, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, who is reaching out for help in urging folks - with the help of celebrities, Lady Gaga and Ashton Kutcher - to stand, or drive, clear of the area.

WikiLeaks and the Icelandic IT company DataCell filed a formal complaint to the European Commission on Thursday, saying payment companies Visa Europe and MasterCard Inc violated EU antitrust laws by blocking donations.

The United States may lose its top-notch credit rating in the next few weeks if lawmakers fail to increase the country's legal borrowing limit and the government misses debt payments, Moody's Investors Service warned on Wednesday.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke renewed his promise on Thursday that the central bank could put more monetary stimulus into play if the economic recovery stumbles.

Spotify has launched in the U.S. giving music lovers ability to stream music over the Web.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba.com Ltd said on Thursday that it has signed an agreement with payment provider Western Union for its AliExpress wholesale platform.

For two years, academic experts from the United States and China have quietly held talks on cyber-security, straining to establish rules of the road in a realm that has proven a persistent irritant between the world's two largest economies.

U.S. retail sales edged up 0.1 percent in June, after dipping 0.1 percent in May, as a rebound in receipts from auto dealers offset the biggest drop in gasoline sales in a year, the Commerce Dept said.

Wall Street stocks rose on Thursday as higher profit from JPMorgan offset concern after Moody's threatened to downgrade the United States' top credit rating if the federal borrowing limit is not raised.

McDonald's has undergone major changes since it has been pressured over the years for its super unhealthier but cheap options. Its Happy Meal already meets guidelines for the NRA's initiative as it is only 390 calories (4 piece chicken McNuggets, Apple Dippers with low-fat carmel, and low-fat milk.) Here are some of McDonald's healthier options for children and adults.

Stock index futures were little changed on Thursday ahead of earnings from JPMorgan, the first big bank to report its quarterly scorecard as investors look for signs of weakness after a slowdown in the economy.

This morning, Spotify was finally made available in the U.S. What if there is no one to invite you? No worries, Klout has a limited number of Spotify free account invitations to pass out via its Kiout Perks.

Here is a look at the Emmy nominees and an early predictions.

Stocks rose after the open on Thursday as higher profit from JPMorgan offset concern about Moody's threat to downgrade the United States' top credit rating if the federal debt ceiling is not raised.

Joyeux Quatorze Juillet! On Thursday, citizens in France (and across the globe) will celebrate one of the country's greatest national holidays. What are you doing on Bastille day?

Those who reject religion seem to do more crazy things in the name of religion. An Austrian self-confessed atheist has claimed - and won - the right to wear religious headgear in his driver's license photo. What a serious claim. And it's a spaghetti strainer.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son James Murdoch refused Thursday to appear before a parliamentary committee investigating alleged phone-hacking and bribery done by employees of their British media empire. Whittingdale asked the three to appear in a week, on July 19, a representative told CNN.

Wall Street was set to rise on Thursday as higher profit from JPMorgan offset concern about closing the U.S. budget deficit after Moody's threatened to downgrade the United States' top credit rating.

It's being whispered in the corridors of News Corp and on Wall Street: might the next chief executive of this global media empire actually not carry the last name Murdoch?

In a gruesome incident which brought back memories of the '90s Bobbitt case, a California woman handcuffed her husband, chopped of his penis and then mutilated the organ by putting it down the garbage disposal.

Climate scientists have turned to the United States and Australian navies to deploy robotic measuring devices in the Indian Ocean where pirates have made the area too dangerous for researchers.

Manchester United are on the verge of completing the sensational signing of Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder, after agreeing personal terms with the Dutchman.