IBT Staff Reporter

Research In Motion's Torch, a touchscreen challenger to Apple's iPhone, lifted the BlackBerry maker's quarterly profit above analyst expectations on Thursday and the company forecast strong results from the current holiday season quarter.

The $858 billion tax-cut package brokered by President Barack Obama and Republicans survived a key test vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday and headed toward passage, likely within hours.

Research In Motion reported results that mostly beat expectations on Thursday and the BlackBerry maker forecast strong profits for the current quarter, pushing its shares higher in after-hours trade.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's net profit jumped 45 percent in its fiscal third quarter, boosted by strong sales of its flagship Torch smartphone.

Oracle Corp forecast that its profit in the current quarter will beat Wall Street estimates, suggesting that its strategy of offering a one-stop shop for software and hardware is paying off.

The House of Representatives has postponed deciding on an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts.

The International Monetary Fund approved a 22.5 billion euro loan for Ireland on Thursday and said it was open to renegotiating parts of the bailout package with a new government provided its overall targets were adhered to.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Thursday released a long-awaited proposal to set position limits in commodity markets.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc breezed past expectations as sales of its hit sports game NBA 2K11 helped it weather a year without a new version of its blockbuster franchise Grand Theft Auto.

The social media giant adds facial recognition technology to its photo sharing services.

The following are highlights from a U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission hearing on Thursday that introduced rules for swap execution facilities, and limits for speculative positions held by commodity traders.

Wal-Mart Stores and Canada's biggest private-sector union have reached a settlement in their year and a half-long trademark dispute.

The chief derivatives regulator on Thursday proposed making trading in the most popular swaps as transparent as stock exchanges, while trying to ensure that requirements for less popular swaps do not end up killing them.

New York City private employers hired 14,000 workers in November, outpacing New Jersey, whose governor just one day ago took credit for the addition of 9,300 employees.

European Union leaders have agreed to create a permanent financial safety net from 2013 and the European Central Bank moved to increase its firepower to fight the debt crisis that has rocked the euro zone.

The U.S. can expect greater legal software sales in China, the top U.S. trade official said Wednesday.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should make use of Obama administration programs to help borrowers who owe more than their home is worth by writing down principal, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday.

Three technology company executives and a salesman for an expert network firm were arrested and charged with leaking confidential tips to hedge funds, including secret details about Apple Inc's iPad ahead of its launch.

The company gets $200 million from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers to raise its total valuation to $3.7 billion

The chief U.S. derivatives regulator on Thursday proposed a new plan to make trading in the most popular swaps as transparent as stock exchanges, while trying to ensure that requirements for less popular swaps don't end up killing them.

Results-oriented problem solver with extensive experience in a fast-paced environment seeks cliche-free resume to post online.

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to create a permanent financial safety net from 2013 and the European Central Bank moved to increase its firepower to fight the debt crisis that has rocked the euro zone.

The two largest U.S. bookstore chains have offered up a compelling cliffhanger this holiday season that will seal the fate of brick-and-mortar bookselling.

The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today called for greater oversight of scientists working on synthetic biology, though it fell short of calling for any new federal regulations or institutions.

Moody's Investors Service put Greece's sovereign foreign currency credit rating on review for possible downgrade on Thursday, citing uncertainty over the country's ability to cut debt to sustainable levels.

The lawyer for indicted former financial adviser Kenneth Starr was himself charged today for assisting in Starr's multi-million dollar fraud, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.

AOL Inc bought Web advertising platform company Pictela expanding the types of online formats it offers to marketers.

The U.S. economy showed new signs the recovery was gaining traction, with data on Thursday that new claims for jobless aid fell last week and factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region grew at its quickest pace in more than 5-1/2 years this month.

Tony Longoria had a way of talking about numbers in the technology industry that made him very popular with certain hedge fund managers.