IBT Staff Reporter

At the end of the second practice session before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, it was the surprise duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, both McLaren drivers, who led the way with the fastest times at the Albert Park.

Despite supply woes from earthquake-torn Jana, Apple iPad 2 global sales attract buyers. Start slideshow to see photos of tech-junkies grabbing the tablet across 25 countries:

Even as the workers at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant scrambled to remove radioactive water, earthquake-torn Japan now fights apparent nuclear leak into the ocean causing a sharp spike in levels of radioactive iodine.

A U.S. trade panel has agreed to review Eastman Kodak Co's claim that Research in Motion Ltd and Apple Inc are infringing on its patents in a case that could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties.

A U.S. federal court judge has allowed Deutsche Bank AG and the mortgage unit of France's BNP Paribas SA to proceed with their lawsuits against Bank of America related to losses they incurred in connection with the collapse of mortgage lender Taylor Bean & Whittaker Mortgage Corp.

A U.S. trade panel has agreed to review Eastman Kodak Co's claim that Research in Motion Ltd and Apple Inc are infringing on its patents in a case that could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties.

A Manhattan federal judge on Friday named three pension funds as co-lead plaintiffs in an investor lawsuit against Goldman Sachs Group Inc to recover losses tied to the Wall Street's bank's alleged misleading statements about Abacus, a product linked to subprime mortgages.

U.S. authorities closed the Bank of Commerce of Wood Dale, a small Illinois bank on Friday, bringing the total number of foreclosures in 2011 to 26.

The shortage of a specialty pigment that gives cars a glittering shine has prompted automakers to temporarily restrict orders on vehicles in certain shades of black, red and other colors.

Nokia said it will continue to sell smartphones using its legacy Symbian software for a long time after its first phones using Microsoft's Windows go on sale.

China said on Friday it complied with most measures at issue in an international trade ruling made against its restrictions on copyright-intensive goods such as films, books and music.

Movie rental company Netflix Inc is close to an agreement with Miramax to stream the studio's library in a deal that would be worth well north of $100 million over five years, according to a source familiar with the deal.

China said on Friday it complied with most measures at issue in an international trade ruling made against its restrictions on copyright-intensive goods such as books and music.

A U.S. judge upheld on Friday a fine against Wal-Mart Stores Inc issued by U.S. workplace safety regulators after a fatal stampede of frenzied holiday shoppers in 2008 at a Long Island store.

Goldman Sachs and others said they did not urge the Tokyo Stock Exchange to halt trading because of Japan's earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis, despite a comment from the bourse's chief that some foreign banks had pressed for a halt.

Apple Inc won a round in its patent fight with Nokia on Friday as a U.S. trade panel ruled that the U.S. company did not violate any of five Nokia patents.

AT&T faces a tough pitch convincing regulators that its $39 billion deal to buy Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile will not create a duopoly in the cell phone market.

Apple Inc won a round in its patent fight with Nokia on Friday as a U.S. trade panel judge ruled that the U.S. company did not violate any of five Nokia patents.

The U.S. Interior Department said on Friday it approved a permit for Statoil to drill for oil in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Some day soon, when pro-democracy campaigners have their cellphones confiscated by police, they'll be able to hit the panic button -- a special app that will both wipe out the phone's address book and emit emergency alerts to other activists.

Madonna's failed bid to open a school for poor girls in Malawi shows that running a successful charity requires not just good will but also a solid business plan, philanthropy experts say.

Google is preparing its music service and Spotify is headed across the Atlantic.

Two weeks has passed since a massive earthquake and the ensuing tsunami struck Japan to cause one of the most severe natural disasters in Japanese history.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Friday it began injecting freshwater into reactors No. 1 and No. 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to improve cooling efficiency, according to a report.

Research In Motion is facing skeptical investors unsure the BlackBerry maker can pull off a difficult transition as it promises strong growth from a tablet and operating system few have seen.

NEW YORK, March 25 - With the economy on firmer footing the Federal Reserve Bank is unlikely to extend its bond-buying stimulus program beyond a planned $600 billion, several top Fed officials said on Friday.

Before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, McLaren has received a boost in the form of Lewis Hamilton who fully-committed to the team despite the pre-season technical problems that has plagued the team.

LOS ANGELES - The Weinstein Company is getting into the video game business. On Friday it announced the launch of TWC Games, which will publish games for mobile, social, and console platforms.

A woman who brought a $250 million sexual harassment lawsuit against American Apparel Inc Chief Executive Dov Charney could be forced to take the case to arbitration, rather than pursue it in court.