IBT Staff Reporter

Many couples wanting to get hitched have waited for the 9-9-09, some chose this date with belief that it brings along luck while others have simply chosen the date to help them remember their anniversary later.

Nokia Oyj plans to skip tailoring software of its upcoming top-of-the-range model N900 to different operators, raising the risk some carriers, who focus on integrating their own software, could refuse to offer the model.

The head of U.S. bank Goldman Sachs said on Wednesday that anger over bankers' pay was understandable and appropriate, and that greater scrutiny of trade in complex instruments was needed to keep banks in check.

Myanmar's military regime is stepping up efforts to show its neighbors that armed ethnic separatists on its border are under control after violent clashes that sent thousands of refugees pouring into China.

Iran handed a package of proposals to world powers on Wednesday, as it came under renewed Western pressure to swiftly engage in meaningful talks to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program.

Israeli media reports said on Wednesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited Moscow on Monday in a bid to dissuade Russia from selling weapons to Iran.

Zombie master George A. Romero had no particular conflict in mind when making Survival of the Dead, the sixth installment in his long-running horror franchise, but rather discrimination in general.

Palm Inc on Wednesday announced a lower-priced smartphone in the same family as its popular Palm Pre, although the move may be overshadowed by rival product launches by Motorola and Apple.

Lawyers in a $586 million settlement of IPO litigation stemming from the demise of the Internet stocks bubble want to be paid $245 million, nearly three times the average for such large settlements, according to court papers filed on Tuesday.

Incumbent Hamid Karzai defended last month's Afghan presidential election as honest on Wednesday, a day after returns showed him on course to win in a single round but a U.N-backed panel also ordered a partial recount over fraud.

Brazilian technology services provider Tivit and stockholders filed on Wednesday to sell up to 785 million reais ($430 million) in an initial public offering, the company's third attempt to go public.

Jermaine Jackson denied on Wednesday rumors that other members of the Jackson family oppose the concert he plans to stage in Vienna later this month in memory of his brother Michael.

President Barack Obama puts himself squarely into the center of the debate over U.S. healthcare reform, his top domestic policy priority, with a high-stakes address to Congress Wednesday.

Swiss bank Julius Baer started moves to list its U.S. asset management arm Artio in New York, cashing in on higher equities markets to provide a timely boost for its acquisition war chest.

Germany expects General Motors to pay back a 1.5 billion euro loan made to help Opel if GM keeps its European unit, Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday.

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co Inc posted an almost six-fold jump in quarterly profit, boosted by strong generic sales, sending its shares up 19 percent in pre-market trade.

Unless you're just counting down the days till you can quit, chances are, you want to do well in your job. Perhaps you're making an effort to manage your time well in the office, to network with colleagues, and to bring energy and enthusiasm to your projects.

Even after a news conference gave out names of the buyers planning to purchase a 46 percent stake in Kuwaiti telecom Zain, questions still surround the $13.7 billion deal.

U.S. investment fund Lone Star LS.UL has been unable to get the green light from creditors for its planned acquisition of a failed Japanese real estate investment trust (REIT), the second time the deal has been blocked, rival bidder BLife Investment said.

China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), parent of Asia's largest oil and gas producer PetroChina, said it secured a $30 billion state loan to fund overseas expansion, as Beijing seeks to secure resources for the world's fastest-growing major economy.

Vivendi is offering 2 billion euros ($2.9 billion) for Brazilian telecom operator GVT in a move that puts it head-to-head with Telefonica in Latin America's biggest market and could spark a counterbid.

Kraft Foods Inc plans to cut its supplier base in half, a move that would affect more than 30,000 companies, as the largest North American food maker looks to save more than $300 million a year.

Goldman Sachs Chief Executive LLoyd Blankfein urged policymakers keen to rebuild confidence in financial markets to refrain from creating a system designed solely around protecting us from the 100-year storm.

Oil prices rose toward $72 a barrel on Wednesday, extending gains of more than $3 the previous day as a falling dollar spurred investors to buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation.

Talbots Inc posted a quarterly loss on Wednesday that was not as deep as expected, signaling that the retailer's attempts to turn around its business through cost-cutting efforts and better merchandising are paying off.

McDonald's Corp posted a 2.2 percent rise in sales at existing restaurants worldwide, disappointing some investors and sending its shares down 2 percent in premarket trading.

Ellen DeGeneres tried to make Mariah Carey confess whether she is pregnant or not on her show on Monday, but in an unusual way. She asked Carey if the rumors that she is pregnant were true. The diva who appeared on the show wearing a loose casual shirt asked her not to discuss that issue and DeGeneres agreed. Immediately she opened up a champagne bottle and offered a zip to Carey.

Trim shrubs and trees in the front yard; a homebuyer should be able to see your home's architectural features (such as that beautiful picture window). Tidy up your yard; put away hoses, trash cans, etc.

Red may be the official color of Berlin's IFA electronics fair but companies exhibiting there have chosen to show their green side as they prepare for new EU energy conservation legislation that will take effect in 2010.