UNITED STATES

Talks between Yahoo Inc and China's Alibaba Group over the U.S. Internet giant's Asian assets have hit an impasse, throwing their plans for a $17 billion tax-free asset swap into question, according to sources briefed on the situation.

The head of Airbus said he ordered an internal investigation into how the company allowed wing cracks to develop on its flagship A380 passenger jet, acting to draw a line under weeks of embarrassing publicity for the world's largest planemaker.

Entering the fifth year of recession, Greece is writing its name in the book of unwanted records for one of the deepest economic slumps of modern times.

'Linsanity' slammed into hockey-mad Canada with the force of a winter storm on Tuesday as Jeremy Lin, the National Basketball Association's (NBA) newest sensation, set hearts aflutter with a Valentine's Day visit to the league's most northern outpost.

The hunt for elusive drug cartel leader Joaquin Guzman, known as El Chapo, got a shot in the arm Tuesday with the arrest of infamous meth producer Jaime Herrera in Mexico's Pacific coast state of Sinaloa.

Comedian Doug Stanhope makes no apologies for his uninhibited, controversial dark comedy, and with fans and friends like Ricky Gervais and Louis C.K., why should he?

The winners of the Sporting, Working and Terrier groups were announced at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York late Monday. The winners included an Irish Setter named GCH. Shadagee Caught Red Handed, a gorgeous Doberman Pincsher named GCH. Protocol's Veni Vidi Vici, and a beautiful Kerry Blue Terrier. The three winners will join the Group winners from Monday night to compete in Tuesday's Best in Show.

Brazil's Vale SA , the world's second-largest mining company, will likely report a 21 percent decline in fourth-quarter profit as the price of key metals fell and the company changed the way it charged for iron-ore, its main product.

Famed hedge fund manager John Paulson on Tuesday demanded that insurer The Hartford Financial Services Group break itself into two companies, escalating a confrontation with management that began with screams on a conference call last week.

U.S. lawmakers reached a tentative deal on Tuesday on legislation aimed at boosting the economy by extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers through this year and continuing long-term jobless benefits, congressional aides said.

Apple Inc is in very active discussions at the board level about what to do with its steadily growing hoard of cash and securities, Chief Executive Tim Cook said on Tuesday, responding to calls for the world's most valuable electronics company to put its massive cash reserves to work.

Iranian engineers have succeeded in neutralizing and purging the computer virus known as Stuxnet from their country's nuclear machinery, European and U.S. officials and private experts have told Reuters.

Leading senators introduced a cybersecurity bill on Tuesday aimed at safeguarding the nation's water and power systems, which experts have warned often only have the most rudimentary protections against hackers.

Caesars Entertainment Corp stands to benefit from the rise of social media gaming, Chief Executive Gary Loveman said in a speech on Tuesday.

Cindy Vogels will determine the winner of the prestigious Best in Show competition at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show late Tuesday. The grand finale of the highly competitive event will feature the seven winners from the Sporting, Non-Sporting, Herding, Toy, Working, Hound and Terrier groups.

Websites of exchange operators Nasdaq and BATS have been attacked by hackers over the last 24 hours, causing ongoing disruptions for those trying to use the sites, spokespersons for the companies said on Tuesday.

U.S. lawmakers were close to a deal Tuesday on legislation that would boost the economy in the short term by extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers through this year and continue long-term jobless benefits, congressional aides said.

Whitney Houston, the celebrated pop music icon, died on Saturday at the age of 48. While many around the world mourned, Sony Music raised the price of Houston's greatest hits album titled Ultimate Collection on iTunes and Amazon. Sony Music raised the price of Houston's songs just 30 minutes after her death reports Guardian. The retail price was raised from about $8 (£4.99) to about $13 (£7.99), which automatically raised the price of digital sales on platforms such as iTunes.

Britain's top-notch credit rating may survive the threat of a downgrade because economists still believe in London's resolve to erase a huge budget deficit and the central bank's ability to print money.

The precious metals market followed Wall Street's skid today, as gold and companies that peddle it were driven down by underwhelming retail figures in the U.S., and ongoing concerns over Greece and the Eurozone.

Early in January 2012, DoubleLine Capital's Jeffrey Gundlach sounded bearish on the U.S. stock market.