IBT Staff Reporter

Tornadoes and thunderstorms, termed catastrophic by U.S. President Barack Obama, that swept across the southern United States the past few days, left a trail of death and destruction - properties worth millions of dollars were damaged, nearly 300 people are dead and hundreds of thousands injured.

Microsoft Corp reported a dip in quarterly sales of its core Windows operating system, mirroring a recent downturn in personal computers and sending its shares down slightly.

Research In Motion stunned investors with a steep downward revision of its current quarter forecasts on Thursday, sending its stock spinning lower even as it promised a turnaround from a line-up of new BlackBerry smartphones it will unveil next week.

The highly anticipated 2011 NFL Draft is here! It’s 8:00 p.m. EDT April 28 for the first round, 6:00 p.m. EDT April 29 for the second and third, and 12:00 p.m. EDT April 30 for fourth through seventh round. The event will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Rev. Franklin Graham's comments on President Barack Obama's birth certificate, views on presidential politics and his charge that the Muslim Brotherhood has influence in U.S. State Department and military have come into the spotlight this week.

Ancestry.com Inc reported quarterly results above market consensus helped by strong subscriber additions, and raised its full-year revenue outlook, sending its shares up 16 percent in extended trading.

General Motors Co Chief Executive Dan Akerson said the company has not been greatly affected by supply disruptions due to the March earthquake in Japan, and the company wants to repay U.S. taxpayers before making acquisitions or declaring a dividend.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Philip Falcone recently gave investors more information about three U.S. government investigations into his Harbinger Capital Partners fund firm.

The Royal Wedding of Prince William & Catherine Middleton will take place tomorrow in April 29, 2011 at 06:00am EDT. There is plenty of anticipation growing over the event, with media coverage increasing on a daily basis. The event could end up being the most watched event in history.

According to one researcher, the recent breach of Sony's PlayStation Network may have ripple effects on regulatory control of consumers' personal information.

American International Group Inc sued two money management firms on Thursday in the start of a fight to recoup billions of dollars the bailed-out insurer said it lost due to fraud.

Bondholders fighting for control of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc's repayment plan have amended a proposal for the company's restructuring that would provide them a slightly higher recovery.

Research In Motion cuts its earnings outlook for the current quarter on Thursday, saying it expects to ship fewer BlackBerry smartphones but maintained its robust full-year guidance.

The Dow Jones transports closed at an all-time high on Thursday, leading U.S. stocks higher and signaling more gains due to its role as a touchstone of economic demand.

Research In Motion slashed its earnings outlook for the current quarter by 11 percent on Thursday, saying it expects to ship fewer and cheaper BlackBerry smartphones.

Shareholders ratcheted up pressure on NYSE Euronext to wrangle a better takeover deal than the one it has with Deutsche Boerse by using a rival bid to its advantage.

Worry not, folks. We didn't receive an invite to the Royal Wedding either. That doesn't mean we cannot watch Prince William tie the knot with his princess to be Kate Middleton

NASA awards HP a contract to create desktop services and related devices for the space agency’s secure collaboration initiative.

Three workers for Foxconn, which makes components for the iPhone and iPad, were arrested for allegedly leaking the iPad design.

Sony Corp could face legal action across the globe after it delayed disclosing a security breach of its popular PlayStation Network, infuriating gamers and sending the firm's shares down nearly 5 percent in Tokyo Thursday.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Philip Falcone recently gave investors a little more information about three government investigations into his Harbinger Capital Partners fund firm.

LG has launched its LG Optimus Big smartphone in its native country of Korea yesterday. The smartphone is equipped with a large 4.3 inch display, which makes it the largest LG phone to date. It's 10.1 mm thick and weighs 151g.

The hacking of Sony Corp's PlayStation Network has earned a place in the annals of Internet crime.

Economic growth braked sharply in the first quarter as higher food and gasoline prices dampened consumer spending and sent inflation rising at its fastest pace in 2-1/2 years.

The Dow Jones transports closed at an all-time high on Thursday, leading U.S. stocks higher and signaling more gains due to its role as a touchtone of economic demand.

Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc reported significantly bigger first-quarter profits and beat analysts' forecasts, helped by high oil prices and strong refining margins.

Yandex, Russia's most popular internet search engine, plans to raise up to $1 billion in an initial public offering on Nasdaq, it said on Thursday.

NASA officials are optimistic weather won't play a factor into the Endeavour launch tomorrow.

“Our 4G LTE network is up and running.” the company said in a statement.