IBT Staff Reporter

Stocks tumbled 2 percent and turned negative for the year on Wednesday as softer Chinese factory data and a weaker outlook from the Federal Reserve increased worries about the recovery.

(Corrects to say softer instead of softer-than-expected Chinese factory data in first paragraph)

Oh, Hollywood celebrities... their lifestyles are just as wild as their eating habits.

Indian demands are giving a new headache to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion after New Delhi threatened a shutdown that could affect one million of the smartphone's 41 million users.

Google Inc said on Wednesday it will sell advertising spots on 11 cable networks carried by satellite television operator DirecTV Group.

Unemployed homeowners in 17 U.S. states and the District of Columbia will soon be eligible for government help to avert foreclosure under a $2 billion program announced on Wednesday.

Stocks dropped more than 2 percent on Wednesday as worse-than-expected Chinese factory data and a weaker outlook from the Federal Reserve added to worries about the economic recovery.

A survey conducted by Family Planning NSW with online networking web site MySpace Australia found young people are more likely to discuss with their friends about sex and their bodies, and favors GPs for advice on contraception.

The Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia has called for the removal of soil beneath the playing fields of a Catholic high school at Westmead due to suspicion that it is contaminated with asbestos fibre.

U.S. securities regulators said on Wednesday they are moving forward with technical fixes to the still-unexplained May flash crash, but some market players say they want a more wholesale review of high-speed trading.

Stocks dropped more than 2 percent on Wednesday as worse-than-expected Chinese factory data and a weaker outlook from the Federal Reserve added to worries about the economic recovery.

A significant survey conducted on the use of muscle enhancing injections in secondary schools across Australia show that steroid use among Australian kids is higher than that of the general population.

A man from Massachusetts, USA was finally relieved from months of coughing after doctors traced the problem to a green pea growing inside one of his lungs.

After beating cancer, while the body is clear from harm's way, the mind of survivors may not be as ready to go back to its normal cancer-free state.

U.S. job openings were flat in June while the number of new hires slipped, according to a government report on Wednesday that underscored the persistent weakness in the labor market.

Home loan demand climbed last week but record low mortgage rates failed to light a fire in a market constrained by unemployment and tight lending practices.

As dozens of U.S. billionaires pledge their fortunes to charity and the country struggles to shake off recession, philanthropy is a growing status symbol of the rich, experts say.

Owners cut prices on one-quarter of U.S. homes listed for sale in July, a fourth straight monthly rise, as job market fallout trumped record low mortgage rates, real estate website Trulia.com said on Wednesday.

A senior virologist declared on Wednesday a very quiet flu year for Australia as influenza infection rate, including cases of swine flu, has been reduced.

Stocks fell sharply on Wednesday after weaker manufacturing data from China and a gloomier growth outlook from the Federal Reserve heightened fears of a lackluster global economic recovery.

U.S. job openings were flat in June while the number of new hires slipped, according to a government report on Wednesday that underscored the persistent weakness in the labor market.

Securities regulators on Wednesday said they are moving forward with technical fixes in the wake of the still-unexplained May flash crash, but some market players say they want a more wholesale review of high-speed trading.

Macy's Inc quarterly results on Wednesday showed that the department store retailer boosted sales and gained market share without relying as much on discounts as it rivals did to get shoppers into stores.

The Bank of England left the door open on Wednesday for more monetary easing, cutting its forecast for UK economic growth and predicting that inflation would fall well below its 2 percent target in two years.

A 15-minute brain scan could in future be used to test for autism, helping doctors diagnose the complex condition more cheaply and accurately.

An electronic nose could be used as a simple breath test to detect lung, breast, bowel and prostate cancers, Israeli scientists said Wednesday.

Stocks indexes were set to fall more than 1 percent at the open on Wednesday after weaker manufacturing data from China and a gloomier growth outlook from the Federal Reserve underscored a lackluster global economic recovery.

A new superbug could spread around the world after reaching Britain from India -- in part because of medical tourism -- and scientists say there are almost no drugs to treat it.

Stock index futures dropped sharply on Wednesday as weaker manufacturing data in China and a gloomier economic outlook from the Federal Reserve led to mounting concerns about the health of the global economy.