IBT Staff Reporter

Pia Toscano recently admitted, via People.com, that her early elimination from Season 10 of American Idol gave her a head start in preparing her upcoming album.

Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier, is experiencing a major disruption to its computer systems that could be related to a problem with network security, a defense official and two sources familiar with the issue said on Thursday.

Stocks were higher on Friday as bullish comments about Greece caused the dollar to fall, resulting in strength in commodity prices.

HSBC Holdings Plc executives faced investor anger on Friday over lackluster returns and high executive pay, prompting Chairman Douglas Flint to admit performance had been disappointing.

Facebook has answered the suit that claims an upstate New York businessman owns half of the company, calling it a fraud on the court.

G8 Summit gives in to Canada's stand against mentioning a specific stand of the 1967 borders at which called for re-commencement of Israel-Palestinian peace talks on Friday.

Microsoft is still not too late for the tablet party. And with its Next operating system closer than most expect, the software maker could corner meaningful market share in 2013 and beyond, Citigroup said.

Consumer spending rose less than expected in April as high gasoline prices continued to squeeze household budgets, according to government data on Friday which also showed annual inflation accelerating at its fastest pace in a year .

Oil rose on Friday as a softer dollar tempered demand worries triggered by euro zone debt concerns and weak U.S. economic data.

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Friday as the dollar fell, giving a boost to commodities, and personal income rose in April.

Consumer spending rose less than expected in April as high gasoline prices continued to squeeze household budgets, according to government data on Friday which also showed annual inflation accelerating at its fastest pace in a year .

Officials announced that the search has switched to a water recovery operation in the area near the Golden Gate Bridge, ending the ground search since they think Allison killed herself. But there is no reason for Allison to suicide.

Google launched its much awaited NFC-enabled mobile payment platform, Google Wallet, which enables users to make payments at the point-of-sale (POS) by merely waving the phone.

Brent crude hovered barely changed at around $115 a barrel on Friday, paring earlier gains, as a softer dollar tempered demand worries triggered by euro zone debt concerns and weak U.S. economic data.

ABC News will broadcast a series of interviews with Jacqueline Kennedy, that were never released before on a one-hour 20/20 special with Diane Sawyer in September. The interviews will be put in context by historians and her own daughter, Caroline Kennedy.

X-Men: First Class boasts of a fine cast that includes young and attractive actresses who promise to heat up the screen.

Yandex said on Friday the underwriters of its recent blockbuster Nasdaq IPO had exercised an over-allotment option in full, bringing the total raised to $1.43 billion.

Hong Kong police have arrested a senior banker at Deutsche Bank for allegedly possessing a firearm, sources said on Friday.

People, who went fishing along the Banguri seawall in Pohang, Kyungbok province in South Korea, were in for a shock - they found a drowned kitten that was tied to a rock, which was bigger than the kitten itself.

NASA Langley Research Center will outfit the Space Exploration House at the Tidewater Builders Association's Spring Homearama in Virginia Beach, May 28 - June 12.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Friday, with investors cautious before a long holiday weekend and economic data on pending home sales and consumer sentiment that could give the market direction.

Facebook announced it has hired a former Bush administration staffer to head its Washington, D.C. office, deepening the company's ties to the political establishment.

Greece's prime minister held talks with opposition leaders on Friday in a last-ditch attempt to win their support for more austerity and free up EU/IMF aid needed to avert a debt default.

Stock index futures were little changed on Friday, with investors cautious before a long holiday weekend and economic data on pending home sales and consumer sentiment that could give the market direction.

Sony Executive Vice President Masuru Kato has announced during a conference call with investors that the company will be working on a future platform console, indicating the impending launch of PlayStation 4.

Google launched its much awaited NFC-enabled mobile payment platform, Google Wallet, which enables users to make payments at the point-of-sale (POS) by merely waving the phone.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion said on Friday a lawsuit was filed against the company in New York and that it believes the allegations are without merit.

Stock index futures were little changed on Friday after the Group of Eight leaders of rich nations said the world's economic recovery was more self-sustained but faced headwinds.

Struggling Irish telecoms group Eircom said on Friday it must accelerate talks on restructuring its debt with shareholders and lenders ahead of a likely breach in its financial covenants within the next three months.