IBT Staff Reporter

BHP Billiton plans to pour $80 billion into expansion over the next five years rather than chase ambitious takeovers, the world's biggest miner said after booming demand for iron ore and copper helped nearly double its first-half profits.

Google's Android Marketplace makes a huge jump in market share, but Apple's App Store is still way ahead of the pack.

The home improvement retailer is set to give significant boost to job creation in the economy, hiring over 60000 seasonal associates to cope with the demands of a busy spring season.

Heineken NV , the world's third-largest brewer, beat full-year earnings forecasts as cost cuts in Europe and savings from a large Mexican acquisition more than offset lower beer sales, lifting its shares.

Daimler proposed a higher-than-expected annual dividend on Wednesday, predicting a considerable gain in earnings this year on better sales of its Mercedes premium cars and a turnaround at its trucks business.

On Wednesday, two teams who arguably play the most attractive football in the world will face each other at Emirates Stadium when Arsenal hosts Barcelona in the first-leg of the Champions League Round-of-16.

On Wednesday, two teams who arguably play the most attractive football in the world will face each other at the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal host Barcelona in the first-leg of the Champions League last-16 round.

Profits at French bank Societe Generale nearly quadrupled in the final quarter of last year, thanks to a pick-up in its retail banking and core equities derivatives businesses, it said on Wednesday.

Smartphone maker HTC has rolled out two new phones - HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa - with a dedicated Facebook button for one-touch access to the key functions of the social networking service.

Weeks after launching the audio of her new song 'Hold it against me', Britney Spears has managed to sustain the buzz with super-short teaser videos on YouTube.

A fireball that streaked through the skies over East Coast, described by viewers as -- the size of a Cesna plane and one of the biggest, brightest, and most colorful ever! -- could have been a passing meteor.

Universal is planning one with Justin Lin as director

A look at 5 key events that shaped the New York Stock Exchange from the 18th century till date

The Apple's new subscription service has begun drawing in flak from app developers. The pressing questions now are: Should Apple fear the backlash? Will the subscription service bring down Apple's App monopoly?

California Governor Jerry Brown issued a hiring freeze across state government in the midst of an estimated budget deficit of $25.4 billion.

British PC and video games retailer Game said it is aiming to revive its fortunes by increasing sales over the Internet and converting more visitors to its stores into paying customers.

Global stocks rose on Wednesday on optimism about a strong outlook for corporate earnings, while expectations for higher interest rates in the UK lifted sterling and the euro gained against the dollar on sovereign demand.

Global miner BHP Billiton's boss, Marius Kloppers, confirmed on Wednesday he had harbored concerns about Chinese and competitor espionage on his business, citing it as a reason behind his push for market pricing of key commodities.

Heineken NV, the world's third-largest brewer, beat market forecasts for 2010 earnings on Wednesday as cost savings more than offset lower beer sales.

Anonymous, the hacker collective known for its attacks on WikiLeaks detractors, has crossed swords with HBGary and other security firms in retaliation to the HBGary Federal CEO Aaron Barr's earlier threat.

French bank Societe Generale said it would stick to its 2012 profit target of 6 billion euros ($8.1 billion) after it resisted jittery markets and almost quadrupled fourth-quarter 2010 profit.

He talks of his wife’s death for the first time

French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis agreed to acquire U.S. biotechnology company Genzyme for $74.00 per share in cash or about $20.1 billion plus extra payments linked to experimental multiple sclerosis drug Lemtrada.

Market activity since the start of 2011 has improved from the fourth quarter 2010, which was hit by the rescue of Ireland and sovereign debt fears, French bank Societe Generale's deputy chief executive told Reuters Insider television.

France and Italy have fallen badly behind on pledges to boost their development aid and should follow the example of Britain, which has stuck to pledges despite austerity measures, Bob Geldof said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday condemned Iran's crackdown on protesters inspired by Egypt's popular uprising and urged friends and foes across the Middle East to take heed of their peoples' aspirations for democracy.

Emerging markets focused lender, Standard Chartered Bank <2888.HK>, has shuttered its global loans trading unit, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, ending a unique experiment in Asia, as it moves to focus on lending to clients.

Transparency campaigners sued the European Union's executive on Tuesday for withholding documents on free trade talks with India, stepping up pressure on the bloc to make its policymaking less secretive.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday questioned a top executive of Unitech Ltd as part of a probe into a telecoms corruption scandal that has roiled politics and spooked investors in Asia's third-largest economy.