Stocks are closing lower on Wall Street after Oracle's weak sales results weighed down big U.S. technology companies. Traders are also worried about Cyprus running out of time to avoid bankruptcy.

Britain's highest court for the first time convened behind closed doors - in a case involving an Iranian bank - just one week after the Supreme Court decided it had the power to sit in secret.

Aircraft manufacturer Beechcraft announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit to contest the U.S. Air Force's decision to award a contract for a light air support plane to Sierra Nevada Corp.

Soybeans advanced Thursday on speculation that U.S. supplies may tighten as Brazil struggles to ship its beans.

Employees at General Motor Co.'s Opel troubled German plant in Bochum have rejected a redevelopment plan, which means production there could end by late 2014.

SALES UP: U.S. sales of previously owned homes rose 0.8 percent in February from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.98 million. That was the fastest sales pace since November 2009.

A TV antenna maker wanted to use the competition's own medium - cable TV - for its anti-cable message. Now, officials at Antennas Direct say Charter Communications' refusal to air the ads is evidence of the cable industry's growing concern over antennas.

Sears Holding Corp. has signed a contract with Edward Lampert to keep him on as CEO of the company at a salary of $1 per year.

Cypriot politicians moved Thursday to restructure the country's most troubled bank as part of a broader bailout plan that must be in place by Monday to avoid financial ruin. Concerned customers rushed to get cash from ATMs as bank employees protested.

European Parliament lawmakers are seeking to introduce a limit on the bonuses that investment fund managers can receive.

Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant drove off Wednesday morning to deliver hot food from Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee on Ninth Street East in Bradenton to bolster awareness of homebound senior hunger.

Stocks are falling on Wall Street as weak sales from Oracle and worries about Cyprus' ability to get a bailout weighed on the market.

Civilian union workers from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island rallied Wednesday near Beaufort City Hall against the federal budget cuts known as sequestration. The cuts could mean furloughs for hundreds of non-military workers in Beaufort County.

The U.S. is increasing its oil production faster than ever, and American drivers are guzzling less gas. But you'd never know it from the price at the pump.

LOW RATES: Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages declined this week and remained near historic lows, a trend that has buttressed a recovery in housing.

The United States isn't producing enough qualified workers to meet the future needs of the mining and energy sectors, from coal digging and gas drilling to solar and wind power, a new report says.

Shares of Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc. are rising in their trading debut on the Nasdaq exchange.

The nation's natural gas supplies shrank last week, the government said Thursday.

Aviv REIT's stock rose more than 14 percent in its first day as a publicly traded company.

Personal computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. says its will raise the quarterly dividend it pays shareholders by about a penny to 14.5 cents per share.

A measure of the U.S. economy's health over the next six months increased in February from January, a sign that growth could be improving.

Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell this week and remained near historic lows, a trend that has supported a recovery in housing.

U.S. sales of previously occupied homes rose in February to their fastest pace in more than three years, and more people put their homes on the market. The increases suggest a growing number of Americans believe the housing recovery will strengthen.

Coca-Cola says it's cutting 750 jobs in the U.S. as it continues to streamline its business.