IBT Staff Reporter

Brent crude futures slipped on Thursday but remained above $115 a barrel, as forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi launched a fresh bombardment on the eastern Libyan oil town of Ras Lanuf, triggering fears of long-term damage to the country's oil infrastructure.

The official Twitter account of automobile giant Chrysler vehicles today used the F-bomb on its more than 7,500 followers.

According to a report in the college newspaper Stanford Daily, a closely guarded quarterly list containing selective and supposedly easy courses to choose from was distributed among athletes only on campus for years since 2001.

Wall Street is set to open lower on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq down 0.3-0.6 percent at 1019 GMT.

The Bank of England looks set to keep interest rates at a record low of 0.5 percent on Thursday, judging that Britain's recovery is currently too fragile to sustain a spiral of rising prices.

Apple has posted fourteen promotional videos of the upcoming iPad 2 on its product website escalating the already high anticipation levels in the tech world.

Ratings agency Moody's cut Spain's sovereign debt rating one notch to on Thursday, warning of potential further cuts because it fears bank restructuring will likely cost more than twice what the government expects.

European stocks and the euro retreated on Thursday after Moody's downgraded Spain, reigniting worries over the euro zone debt crisis, while ongoing violence in Libya kept Brent crude hovering around $116.

Ratings agency Moody's slashed Spain's sovereign credit rating by a notch to Aa2 on Thursday and warned of further cuts, saying that the country's plans to clean up the battered banking sector will cost more than government expects and add to its debt burden.

China swung to a surprise trade deficit in February of $7.3 billion, its largest in seven years, as the Lunar New Year holiday dealt an unexpectedly sharp blow to exports.

Brent crude rose for a second day on Thursday to surpass $116 after forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi bombed oil industry infrastructure, inflicting longer-term damage on the country's exporting capacity.

Toyota Motor Corporation plans to expand line of hybrid models, launching about 10 more by 2015, and continue to develop a full range of plug-in hybrid vehicles, pure electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, the carmaker said in its Toyota Global Vision corporate outline for the future.

The Dalai Lama has not only reiterated his decision to retire from power but also stated that Tibet needs a leader elected by the people. This assertion takes significance in the backdrop of the uncertainty over succession and China's growing interference.

Google admitted that up to 260,000 smartphones have been hacked after handset users unwittingly downloaded virus-infected app, the AP reported today.

China may be struggling with growing income disparities, yet when it comes to making a fortune, many Chinese still believe that to get rich is glorious, especially if you are an entrepreneur.

Sony Corp said it would promote Kazuo Hirai as the head of the company's biggest division, as part of a realignment that signals he could be a potential successor to Chief Executive Howard Stringer.

Settlements of securities fraud lawsuits are increasingly tied to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission cases, a trend likely to continue as the agency increases enforcement activity, a new report shows.

Global miner Rio Tinto raised its offer for Africa-focused coal miner Riversdale Mining to $3.9 billion on Thursday in a final bid to woo key shareholders, a move that Riversdale said was helping to sway institutions.

General Motors is recalling 10,179 of its 2011 Buick LaCrosse sedans and Cadillac SRX crossovers because a software glitch could cause the defrosters to stop working.

Foreclosure filings dropped to a 3-year low in February due to an ongoing backlog following last year's halt in activity, according to a RealtyTrac report on Thursday.

Glencore's plan to list shares in Hong Kong is expected to get strong support from market officials and regulators, with no restrictions necessary when the IPO filing heads to the city's listing committee.

Flat-screen maker LG Display said on Thursday it was in talks to provide 3D TV panels to Sony Corp, as it seeks to muster allies amid an intensifying feud over the 3D market with bigger rival Samsung.

Asian stock markets and copper prices fell on Thursday after surprisingly weak Chinese trade data hit markets already nervous that higher oil prices will cut global growth.

On Wednesday, Forbes magazine unveiled its 25th annual ranking of the richest men on the planet; we take a look here at the 10 billionaires on top.

Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is the richest person in the world for the second year in a row, Forbes said on Wednesday.

Asian stock markets fell on Thursday in the face of higher oil prices as fighting in Libya intensified, fuelling worries that mounting inflationary pressure could bite into global growth.

A shareholder-advisory group has accused Hewlett-Packard Co directors, including the computer maker's recently appointed Chief Executive Leo Apotheker, of breaking company rules by naming new board members with ties to the CEO, Bloomberg said.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted on a method to compensate victims of swindler Bernard Madoff with some commissioners and staff unaware that the SEC's then general counsel had personal ties to the fraud.

Global miner Rio Tinto raised its offer for Mozambique-focused coal miner Riversdale Mining to $3.9 billion in a final bid to woo key shareholders who have held up the deal and gain control of coveted coal assets.