IBT Staff Reporter

World's leading hotel group Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been named as the top hotel brand in Asia for the year 2010 for the second consecutive year by global research company Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), in conjunction with one of the region's leading media, marketing and advertising publications, Media. This is the second consecutive year Hilton clinched the title since the study's Travel & Leisu...

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. launched Shine for Sheraton, a global spa concept designed exclusively for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.

Inter Parfums Inc.'s recently launched U.S. subsidiary Inter Parfums Luxury Brands and French subsidiary Inter Parfums S.A. will be responsible for the development and distribution of Burberry (perfumes and cosmetics), Lanvin, Mont Blanc and Jimmy Choo brands from January 1 next year.

Every time there is a pandemic anywhere, new theories start doing the rounds. One debate that has been going on from the time Dr Alexander Fleming invented Penicillin is whether introducing artificial chemicals into the body really cures the system or simply provides instant gratification. While modern medicines have made tremendous advances, there is still a significant proportion of the populat....

Staring at the screen for hours together may help you concentrate on your work and earn brownie points at work. However, it can seriously affect your health in many ways. For one, most executives have complained about a stiff neck after hours of crouching and staring at the LCD.

Diabetes is not just about high blood sugar, it can impact your body in many different ways. It can complicate the natural functioning of your organs, making them weak and vulnerable to outside infection.

First three months in a pregnancy is always a crucial time as the fetus develops. So it is important for you keep a close watch on how your body functions during this period and watch out for anything that's different from usual. Here are a few points you need to watch out for in the first three months.

Women who drink alcohol regularly are at a greater risk of breast cancer, repeated research has shown. It shows that alcohol reduces a person's immunity against fighting the cancer cells, and it leads to cancer developing in the milk producing glands that are connected to the ducts carrying milk to the nipple. Studies have shown that high estrogen levels are the main cause of cancer developing in ...

In a recent study of about 130,000 men and women in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, it was found that people who were on a low-carb vegetable-based diet were healthier than people who got their proteins from animal sources. Researchers found that low-carb veggie eaters had lower mortality rate from diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.

The U.S. government said it was resuming work on controversial human embryonic stem cell research on Friday after an appeals court ruled in its favor.

You can now travel by a private jet even if you are yet to own one, courtesy British Airways. The airline has launched a new offer for its elite members.

Fifty percent of Harbor Shores's available real estate inventory has been sold. In numbers, Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich., sold 28 of 56 home sites.

Michael Barr, assistant treasury secretary for financial institutions, and Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency will testify on Capitol Hill next week on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

A key U.S. banking regulator raised concern on Wednesday about the risk of exposure the government is taking on in the mortgage market and urged more stringent standards for underwriting mortgages.

The federal government should take mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac off life support sooner rather than later.

Homebuilders in the United States, who lost hundreds of millions of dollars when land they bought during the housing boom lost value after the bust, are bidding up lots despite new softness in the market.

The number of U.S. homes listed for sale rose in August compared to July, marking the 8th consecutive monthly rise, according to data released by real estate brokerage ZipRealty.

Now a new generation of drivers is set to embark on a similar kind of experiment. Until recently, most electric vehicles, or EVs as they are often known, have had a range of just a few dozen miles, limiting their usefulness and appeal.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's No.1 carmaker, unveiled its first pure electric car on Thursday, with a goal of commencing mass production of the vehicles in 2012.

Automakers in China shipped 18.7 percent more passenger cars to dealers in August from a year ago, official data showed, lagging a nearly 60 percent annual jump in retail car sales, reflecting an apparent drawdown in dealers' showroom inventories.

PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault will repay on Friday a third of the 6 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in French government loans, after scrapping schemes helped the carmakers emerge from the financial crisis.

Group vehicles sales growth at Volkswagen slowed to 11.2 percent in August, Europe's biggest carmaker said, sounding a wary note about the outlook as global markets cool.

Ford Motor Co has invited Lincoln dealers to a meeting in October to discuss its plans to breathe new life into the lagging luxury brand at a critical time for many of its U.S. retailers.

Ford Motor Co, which owns 11 percent of Mazda Motor Corp, has not yet fully discussed its long-term relationship with the Japanese automaker but is pleased with the current setup, a top Ford executive said on Thursday.

BMW surpassed August's global sales volumes for its core brand not just versus last year's month but for those of 2007 and 2008 as well, underlining the strength of the recovery in the premium car market.

Swiss cloth Hennes & Mauritz manufacturer has roped in exclusive Paris Fashion group Lanvin to design a collection for its autumn sale. The exclusive Paris fashion group Lanvin would design a collection for the world's third biggest clothing retailer to go on sale in the autumn.

The luxury market which has so far been dominated by the West is facing stiff competition from China. Top global luxury brands like Burberry and Coach are trying to affirm supremacy in market by pouring funds in multi-billion dollars and function on their own instead of running on a franchise basis.

The sultry British actress Keira Knightely reportedly has left her home country to settle in U.S. According to recent Companies House paper works, Knightley has been listed as the director of her firm Ponder Rights where her country of residence is mentioned as U.S.

India's only coral island chain made up of 36 islands and dotted off the coast of Kerala (the southern state of India), Lakshadweep (Laccadives) islands is as spectacular as it is tricky to get to.