IBT Staff Reporter

February sales numbers that top chains report later this week will be the first sign of shoppers' ability and willingness to pay more for clothing and household items now that gas prices are rising.

U.S. stocks traded lower on Tuesday as a jump in oil prices renewed fears of hampered economic activity, offsetting a positive reading on manufacturing.

Insurers must stop setting prices based on gender, an EU court ruled, in a move that could raise costs for women drivers, cut male pensions and invite more legal challenges to pricing practices.

Chinese search engine Baidu.com, an e-commerce unit of Alibaba and Sweden torrent download site Pirate Bay have been named on the United States Trade Representative (USTR)'s Notorious Markets List.

A new report finding many redundancies in the federal government's programs - which could save billions of dollars if cut - is being released as lawmakers consider what to cut from the current fiscal year and the next.

The recent surge in oil prices is unlikely to have a big impact on the U.S. economy, but could lead to weaker growth and higher inflation if sustained, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday.

Insurers must stop setting prices based on gender, an EU court ruled, in a move that could raise costs for women drivers, cut male pensions, and prompt more legal challenges to insurance pricing practices.

In a must-win game for both sides, league leaders Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge to take on falling champions Chelsea in the English Premier League on Tuesday.

The celebs include, actress Kirstie Alley, reality star Kendra Wilkson, talk show host Wendy Williams, boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard, actor Ralph Macchio and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. Also competing are model Petra Nemcova, actress Chelsea Kane, radio personality Mike Catherwood, Winger and actor Romeo and WWE star Chris Jericho.

Penthouse Magazine is teaming up with European based NOA Productions to bring what they say will be the first ever adult 3-D channel.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a positive open on Tuesday but gains could be capped by a jump in oil prices as investors awaited testimony from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

American Airlines parent AMR Corp said passenger unit revenue rose about 4.5 percent to 5 percent in the first two months of this year compared with a year before.

In a must-win game for both sides, league leaders Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge to take on falling champions Chelsea in the English Premier League on Tuesday.

Congress should pass legislation overhauling the U.S. housing finance system within two years, though it should not act in haste, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said.

Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures have invested $42 million in a San Francisco-based start up WeatherBill, a provider of insurance to farmers against weather-related damages.

SES SA, the world's largest publicly traded satellite operator, said it plans to launch the first 3D adult channel, Penthouse 3D, on the Astra network in Europe.

An Apple executive accused of taking kickbacks to help suppliers secure favorable contracts has pled guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Insurance companies cannot take gender into account when setting premiums and paying out benefits from annuities and retirement savings or accident cover, the European Union's top court ruled Tuesday.

A video of the almost extinct Javan rhinos has emerged giving hope that species is still breeding in Indonesia.

Iran, which has found 'Zion' in the 2012 London Olympics logo is not the first to object as the past controversies included: swastika, 'The Simpsons' in sex act, and seizure-causing footage.

U.S. stock index futures were up but eased from earlier highs on Tuesday after crude oil jumped and investors awaited testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Factory input costs leapt across the globe in February, the latest sign of rising inflationary pressures, while euro zone manufacturing grew at its fastest in nearly 10 years, surveys showed on Tuesday.

Google has assured Gmail account holders who lost their mails that many of these missing emails are stored on offline tapes and efforts are on to restore these to the users' accounts.

In the aftermath of the FA's decision to not charge Wayne Rooney for his elbow on Wigan's James McCarthy, the Latics chairman Dave Whelan claimed some referees seem to be afraid of applying the law to Manchester United.

U.S. stock index futures were higher on Tuesday as investors awaited testimony from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who is not expected to cut short the Fed's bond buying program.

Insurers cannot take gender into account as a risk factor in the costs and payouts from annuities and retirement savings as well as accident cover, the European Union's top court ruled on Tuesday.

Internet is buzzing with responses to Charlie Sheen's latest row with new interviews and more statements inspiring LOLcats, parodies and animated videos on blogs, Twitter and Youtube.

Honda and Subaru still make the best vehicles overall, but Ford posted the largest gain in the past year, improving in its road-test and reliability scores, Consumer Reports said. Newer models such as the Flex SUV pumped up Ford's overall road-test score.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI>, the S&P 500 <.SPX> and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> all rising 0.6 percent.