IBT Staff Reporter

The first ball at the Phillies-Brewers game will get thrown by a robot -- but Roy Halladay's job is still safe.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose more than expected in March, a trade group said on Wednesday, raising cautious optimism a recovery may be in sight for the housing market.

The ACLU says Michigan State Police is breaking the fourth amendment by accessing drivers' personal data through a phone extraction device.

Washington Democrats and Republicans have already generally agreed - though no official deal is in place - that the U.S. debt will grow by trillions of dollars over the next 10 years and that the pace of its growth must slow. How the government will cut deficits in the years to come is a matter of debate and Congress is undecided.

The reason the judge did not award Sheen full custody was because of the actor's troubled past.

Children's Place Retail Stores Inc said its customer database has been hacked, and clients were sent an unauthorized email directing them to a website where they were asked to enter their credit card numbers for a software upgrade.

Brent and U.S. crude oil futures rallied more than $2 on Wednesday, with Brent over $123 a barrel, helped by a weekly draw in U.S. crude inventories that confounded expectations for a stock build, and by a weaker dollar.

China has spent tens of billions of dollars buying into energy resources from Africa to Latin America to slake the unquenched thirst for fuel from its growing industry and burgeoning cities.

U.S. stocks jumped on Wednesday as optimism about the economic recovery rose on a wave of strong earnings and profit outlooks.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose more than expected in March, a trade group said on Wednesday, suggesting the housing market's downward trend may be close to hitting a bottom.

Hedge fund managers are finally breathing a sigh of relief.

EBay Inc said it would buy Where, a company that delivers local advertising to mobile phones, in its latest push to allow more retailers to do business with customers through its services.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. says there is somewhat less radioactive water in the tunnel linked to one of the reactors, amounting to 210 metric tons of water, according to broadcaster NHK.

Amazon.com Inc will start allowing users of the Kindle to borrow e-books from many U.S. public libraries later this year in its latest move to speed the adoption of its electronic reading device.

Cyberspace is likely to be a key battleground for states in the 21st century but recruiting those with the technical skills to fight there and retaining their loyalty will be a tough task.

Gold hit record highs above $1,500 an ounce on Wednesday as fears over the U.S. economic outlook boosted its appeal as a haven from risk, while Asian buyers sought protection from rising inflation.

In a discussion the company's background and history in product innovations, Apple revealed that it sold 19 million iPads and 108 million iPhones.

Brent crude rose above $122 a barrel on Wednesday, helped by a weaker dollar and a rebound in equities.

AT&T Inc survived the loss of its exclusive U.S. rights to sell the Apple Inc iPhone.

TMZ is reporting that former American Idol contestant Pia Toscano will be performing on for her alleged boyfriend, Mark Ballas, on Dancing With the Stars.

Gold Bullion jumped above $1500 per ounce in London on Wednesday, setting new Dollar and Sterling highs but falling sharply against the Euro as the single currency rose to its highest level since 2009.

The widely billed 'biggest match in the world' is set to pan out for the second time in five days, as Barcelona and Real Madrid clash at a neutral venue in the Copa del Rey final.

Nasdaq OMX Group's quarterly profit rose 70 percent, as the exchange operator battling to buy out crosstown rival NYSE was helped by robust European and derivatives trading.

U.S. stock index futures climbed on Wednesday after solid earnings and outlooks from major technology companies renewed optimism over the economic recovery.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he had no plans to crack down on the Internet ahead of 2012 elections, seeking to play down concerns over recent hacker attacks on a blogging website.

In an attempt to take up the throne of psychic match-predictor, vacated by the late 'Paul' the octopus, 'Iker 'and 'Iniesta' - two other octopuses have picked Real Madrid to beat Barcelona on Wednesday's Copa Del Rey finals.

AT&T Inc survived the loss of its exclusive U.S. rights to sell the Apple Inc iPhone.

U.S. stocks were poised for a strong open on Wednesday after a raft of solid earnings and outlooks bolstered optimism about the economic recovery.

Spain will sell up to 3.5 billion euros in bonds on Wednesday in an auction that should give clues on whether it can avoid the bailout contagion that has engulfed the much smaller economies of Greece, Ireland and Portugal.