IBT Staff Reporter

In a major blow to Wal-Mart Stores Inc, a sex-discrimination lawsuit against the retailer can proceed as a class-action case covering more than 1 million female employees, a U.S. court ruled on Monday.

Yahoo Inc has struck a deal to expand the role of its services on cellphones of the world's second-largest handset maker Samsung, as the two battle larger rivals on the wireless market.

Inventor Judah Klausner added HTC Corp to the list of big phone makers against which he has filed lawsuits alleging infringement of technology patents related to visual voicemail.

Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit is pinning his hopes for an economic recovery on the developing markets where his company already has a firm foothold.

Queensland health authorities claimed they were unaware of any deaths linked to the seasonal flu vaccine, despite initiating an investigation two weeks ago into the death of 2 year-old Ashley Epapara, twelve hours after she was vaccinated.

Mall owner General Growth Properties Inc said a U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing scheduled for Thursday has been rescheduled to next week, giving it more time to talk to larger rival Simon Property Group Inc and other potential investors.

According to an expert in family health, the key to getting a good night's sleep after the birth of a child is to immediately establish a predictable routine.

The U.S. Treasury on Monday plans to start selling off its 27 percent stake in Citigroup , the latest step in the Obama administration's effort to end unpopular bailout programs.

U.S. stocks edged lower on Monday as bank shares fell on fears that financial reform making its way through Congress will curb profits, while Caterpillar's strong results buoyed the Dow.

Local fertility groups in Townsville now seek help from the US as they are running out of the supply of sperms.

The 2008 Tasmanian young achiever of the year, Aaron MacKrill passed away at the age 29 on Sunday after battling with cystic fibrosis.

Private equity owners of Nielsen are planning an IPO for the market research company and expect to start interviewing banks, according to a source familiar with the situation.

U.S. clinical research company Charles River Laboratories International agreed to buy Chinese rival WuXi PharmaTech for $1.6 billion to expand its presence in China and deepen its expertise in drug-discovery services.

Hertz Global Holdings Inc agreed to buy smaller rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc for about $1.2 billion in a deal that will make it the second-biggest U.S. car rental company.

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO), thinks lupins could become a new health food for humans.

A sex-discrimination lawsuit by female employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc can proceed as a class-action case seeking back pay and other claims against the U.S. retailer, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday.

U.S. oil fell below $85 a barrel on Monday as Greece's festering debt crisis pushed the U.S. dollar up and as the oil market girded for further growth to inventories in the United States, the world's top energy consumer.

Research in Motion is launching variations of two existing BlackBerry smartphones, the company said on Monday, and its co-chief executive hinted that much-anticipated announcements on a new operating system and browser are also on the way.

The Dow industrials briefly turned negative in late afternoon trading on Monday and the S&P 500 extended losses as bank shares continued to slide, weighed by the uncertainty surrounding a financial regulation proposal.

Just three weeks after the global launch, bootleg versions of Apple Inc's hot-selling iPad tablet PCs have begun showing up on the shelves of online and real-world shops in piracy-prone China.

Republicans will eventually vote for financial reform, paving the way for the completion this year of a massive rewrite of rules for banks and financial markets, the head of the American Bankers Association said on Monday.

Google Inc's Nexus One smartphone will be sold in Vodafone retail stores in Britain at the end of the month and the company said there are no longer plans to offer a version of the phone that uses the Verizon Wireless network in the United States.

BlackRock Inc , the giant money management firm, reported weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings as its funds businesses saw outflows and customers shifted to passive funds over more actively-managed ones.

The share of empty U.S. homes fell slightly in the first quarter, a government report on Monday showed, though vacancies remained at elevated levels amid continued weakness in the housing sector.

Pay czar Kenneth Feinberg sees early signs some Wall Street firms are voluntarily toughening up on the way they pay executives, but he cautions it remains to be seen whether such behavior becomes permanent.

Republicans will eventually vote for financial reform, paving the way for the completion this year of a massive rewrite of rules for banks and financial markets, the head of the American Bankers Association said on Monday.

The Dow industrials rose on Monday on Caterpillar's strong results, while weak bank shares left the broad S&P 500 index little changed.

Caterpillar Inc reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Monday and raised its full-year profit and sales forecasts, citing an improving global economy, especially in Asia and Latin America.

Massey Energy Co , owner of the West Virginia coal mine where 29 miners were killed three weeks ago, accused unions on Monday of spreading a big lie that the company had traded safety for profit.