IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. authorities closed four banks -- one in Denver and three in the U.S. Southeast -- on Friday with total assets of $2.7 billion, bringing the number of failures in 2011 so far to seven.

Facebook has raised $1.5 billion from investors, under terms which the world's No. 1 online social network says gives it a value of about $50 billion.

Citigroup Inc's board raised the salary of Chief Executive Vikram Pandit to an annual base of $1.75 million, from a symbolic $1 per year, the bank said in a regulatory filing on Friday.

(Corrects date in second paragraph to March 1 from March 31)

Starbucks Corp cannot use market share losses in the grocery coffee aisle as grounds for ending a 12-year-old distribution partnership with Kraft Foods Inc, a Kraft attorney said on Friday.

Are you ready for your wedding? Or are you worried to wear your wedding dress because of belly fat and cellulite on your arm? Here, we'll give you some tips to make a 'Dress body line'.

Facebook is preparing to open its books this year or early in 2012 to give investors a glimpse into the financial workings of the world's No. 1 social network, after it sealed an oversubscribed $1.5 billion round of financing led by Goldman Sachs.

Fund companies are poised to report higher profits for the December quarter compared with a year ago as rising markets pushed up total assets.

President Barack Obama, in another shift toward the political center, named General Electric Co. Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt on Friday as a top outside economic adviser to help lift hiring.

Bank of America Corp, the largest U.S. bank, reported weaker-than-expected revenue and a second straight quarterly loss after its limping mortgage business triggered writedowns and legal settlements.

A sale of Warner Music Group, whose shares surged nearly 30 percent on Friday on news of the possibility, is not likely to happen until prospective buyers see what happens with EMI Group, its smaller rival whose owners are also exploring strategic options.

U.S. stocks delivered mixed results Friday, General Electric led the way among blue chip stocks with a stronger-than-expected earnings, while financial sector stocks turned in mixed results.

China's Lenovo Group is in talks with Japan's NEC Corp for a joint venture in personal computers, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, in a deal that would help them take on larger global rivals.

Gadget repair enthusiast blog says Apple is deliberately making the iPhone 4 impossible to open, but they can help solve that problem.

The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Friday as General Electric Co's earnings put a positive tone on the economic recovery, snapping a two-day losing skid for the benchmark index.

Ice sheets in Greenland are melting faster than ever before, according to new research.

The much anticipated pullback is finally under way, some investors say, after a mid-week wobble. But the market is showing it still has some juice left -- if earnings can meet towering expectations.

The much anticipated pullback is finally under way, some investors say, after a mid-week wobble. But the market is showing it still has some juice left

Sprint Nextel is expected to reward long-suffering investors with its first quarterly subscriber growth in more than three years, but the celebration may be short-lived.

Security firm Panda Security details the price for various forms of stolen financial information in the black market.

The Obama administration is forging ahead with its plans to bolster alternative energy sources in the U.S., advancing a loan of $967 million to help build the world’s largest photovoltaic solar generating plant.

General Electric Co posted a better-than-expected profit, helped by strong emerging-market demand for heavy equipment and setting the stage for what could be a wave of strong manufacturing earnings reports.

National Hug Day, or National Hugging Day, is an annual holidayoccurring on January 21. It is officially recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This day is also known asWeltknuddeltag 2011.

Dow and S&P continue to be fueled by General Electric, Exxon Mobil; but Nasdaq slips

Job losses and fear about what lies ahead persists on Main Street America, despite official pronouncements that the 'Great Recession' ended over a year ago, the head of a U.S. mayors group said this week. The group was in Washington to lobby President Obama and federal officials for billions of dollars in grants and investments.

One of France's biggest shipbuilders is working with a large builder of nuclear plants to develop a reactor that could be placed up to 100 meters (328 feet) below the surface.

Shares of U.S. regional banks rose on Friday after SunTrust Banks Inc and BB&T Corp reported higher-than-expected quarterly profits.

American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, famously characterized the feat as, One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

The music industry is working to create a global repertoire database to make it easier and faster for new online music services to come to market.