IBT Staff Reporter

Greece expressed hope it can secure its second EU/IMF bailout in as many years and a deal on easing its debt burden next week, but its euro zone peers made clear the months of increasingly ill-tempered argument are not quite over yet.

Citigroup Inc has agreed to pay $158.3 million to settle U.S. civil claims that it defrauded the government into insuring thousands of risky home loans made by its CitiMortgage unit.

Kellogg Co agreed to buy Pringles potato chips for $2.7 billion in a cash deal that makes the cereal company second only to PepsiCo Inc in the global snack food market.

Stocks fell on Wednesday for the third session in four, with market direction largely dictated by the swings in shares of Apple, the largest company in the world.

General Electric Co believes China's economy, a key source of revenue growth for the largest U.S. conglomerate, will slow this year but not substantially below 8 percent, said the executive who runs the company's international operations.

Under pressure from U.S. legislators, Apple Inc moved Wednesday to quell a swelling privacy controversy by saying that it will begin to require iPhone and iPad apps to seek explicit approval in separate user prompts before accessing users' address book data.

The companies argue that the shareholder votes would meddle into routine company business.

Vilified from the presidential pulpit, an occupied Wall Street and even the Republican presidential campaign, one of the ultimate symbols of indulgence -- the private jet -- appears poised for a rebound.

U.S. manufacturing output rose in January and a gauge of factory activity in New York state hit a 1-1/2-year high in February, showing a solid underpinning for the economic recovery.

Stocks fell on Wednesday for the third session in four, with market direction largely dictated by the swings in shares of Apple, the largest company in the world.

Greek party leaders have met the final two demands set by the country's international lenders to seal a bailout, paving the way for a deal and an agreement to ease its debt burden to be announced on Monday, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said.

U.S. legislators on Wednesday sought more information from Apple Inc regarding its privacy policies, pulling the iPhone manufacturer into a swelling controversy over how developers on its popular iOS mobile platform have been able to access users' private address book data.

Telemarketers will have to get written consent before placing automated calls to consumers under new rules U.S. communications regulators voted to adopt on Wednesday.

Cisco Systems Inc has challenged EU clearance of Microsoft Corp's acquisition of Internet voice and video service Skype at Europe's second highest court, saying the commission should have put tougher conditions on the deal.

Citigroup Inc has agreed to pay $158.3 million to settle U.S. civil claims that it defrauded the government into insuring thousands of risky home loans made by its CitiMortgage unit.

Cisco Systems Inc has challenged EU clearance of Microsoft Corp's acquisition of Internet voice and video service Skype at Europe's second highest court, saying the commission should have put tougher conditions on the deal.

Cisco Systems Inc has challenged EU clearance of Microsoft Corp's acquisition of Internet voice and video service Skype at Europe's second highest court, saying the commission should have put tougher conditions on the deal.

Stocks gave up gains on Wednesday as the S&P 500 hit a technical barrier near a nine-month high and Apple shares erased a 3 percent advance.

U.S. stocks gave up gains on Wednesday as the S&P 500 hit a technical barrier near a nine-month high and Apple shares erased a 3 percent advance.

U.S. stocks gave up gains on Wednesday as the S&P 500 hit a technical barrier near a nine-month high and Apple shares erased a 3 percent advance.

Citigroup Inc has agreed to pay $158.3 million to settle U.S. civil claims that it defrauded the government over some home loans from its CitiMortgage unit.

Kellogg Co agreed to swallow Pringles potato chips for $2.7 billion in a cash deal that makes the cereal company second only to PepsiCo Inc in the global snack food market.

Kellogg Co agreed to swallow Pringles potato chips for $2.7 billion in a cash deal that makes the cereal company second only to PepsiCo Inc in the global snack food market.

Morgan Stanley was left holding a 7 percent stake in Denmark's TDC , or nearly half the total amount that it had tried to sell to institutions earlier this week in a deal which raised $1 billion for the telecom operator's main shareholders.

Tokyo Electric Power Co and a government-run nuclear compensation fund have requested the utility's lenders to provide 500 billion yen ($6.38 billion) in new financing in two stages as part of a loan package worth 1.07 trillion yen.

A debt-laden Chinese technology firm seeking to ban all shipments of Apple's popular iPad tablet into and out of the country has been told that China's customs authorities are unlikely to intervene in the trademark battle.

Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher had a message for Wall Street on Wednesday: don't expect more from the U.S. central bank.

Working conditions at Chinese manufacturing plants where Apple Inc's iPads and iPhones are made are far better than those at garment factories or other facilities elsewhere in the country, according to the head of a non-profit agency investigating the plants.

Industrial output was unexpectedly flat in January, but the second straight month of gains in manufacturing pointed to underlying strength in the economy.