IBT Staff Reporter

Pending sales of previously owned homes hit a five-month high in March as buyers rushed to sign contracts before a tax credit expired, while a jump in factory orders underscored manufacturing strength.

Investors dumped U.S. stocks on Tuesday in Wall Street's worst session in three months on the fear that even with a bailout for Greece, Europe's debt crisis could spread to other weak euro zone countries.

Gold prices retreated on Tuesday from five-month highs above $1,190 hit earlier in the day, as its safe-haven status was dented by Spain's dismissal of rumors the country needed 280 billion euros ($372.9 billion) of aid.

Yamana Gold's first-quarter revenue jumped 62 percent on higher gold prices and rising production, the company said on Monday, but its profit eased due to a huge foreign exchange gain in the year-before period.

NEW YORK - Jim Carrey, Lisa Kudrow, Brad Pitt, Isabella Rossellini and Roger Ebert are among those who will be honored at the 14th annual Webby Awards.

Chrysler is offering free financing on most 2010 model-year vehicles or up to $4,000 in cash rebates for the month of May as it tries to boost U.S. sales amid heavy discounting by rivals.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc may enter talks to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fraud charges as soon as today, Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino reported.

Gold prices, which have rallied sharply in recent weeks on sovereign risk concerns, may be vulnerable to a sharp correction when the fear factor dies down.

Big banks should be charged a fee to pay for bailouts as it will make them less prone to reckless lending, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers on Tuesday as he sought support for the proposal.

The head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will no longer delay civil enforcement actions so prosecutors can pursue related criminal cases.

Swiss bank UBS' top managers reported a sea change in client confidence that should stem outflows of client cash by the end of this year.

U.S. drugmakers Pfizer Inc and Merck & Co Inc posted better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by cost savings from their respective mega-mergers that could boost results for several more years.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday urged lawmakers to support a proposal to charge big banks a fee to pay for bailouts and said it will make them less likely to engage in reckless lending.

U.S. tax authorities are investigating about 4,500 potential big-money tax cheats using tips from whistleblowers, a government official said on Tuesday.

The percentage of U.S. home sellers who cut their asking price rose in April, but price reductions were smaller, real estate website Zillow.com said in a report.

Investors dumped U.S. stocks on Tuesday as fears grew that the financial rescue package for Greece might not be enough to prevent a sovereign debt crisis from spreading to other weak euro zone countries.

Australia's mental health sector receives good and bad news on how patients with mental sickness visit their GPs.

In Western Australia, diabetes -the country's rapid-growing chronic disease - is currently affecting a total of 90,000 people in WA even though health experts have been alerting the public about its dangerous health implications.

According to the Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ), the health department of the state is not telling the truth regarding waiting time duration for cancer treatments.

The flu vaccine program handled by the state is now under review by the West Australian government.

A flotilla of nearly 200 boats tackled a massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, taking advantage of calmer weather to intensify the fight to reduce the spill and limit its impact on the U.S. shoreline.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital's department of diabetes and endocrinology has been leading the country in its battle with diabetes for more than a decade.

The U.S. Senate will cast its first votes on Tuesday on a sweeping Wall Street reform bill, with passage of a handful of uncontroversial amendments expected and a key procedural question still unsettled.

Based on the lives of Australia's oldest citizens, the secrets to longevity have been uncovered and shared by Professor Robyn Richmond at the International Federation on Ageing conference, in Melbourne.

A man named Rafael from Spain had a successful face transplant and has came out from the hospital to thank his surgeons.

New orders received by U.S. factories jumped unexpectedly in March as businesses rebuilt inventories, pointing to continued strength in manufacturing, a government report released on Tuesday showed.

U.S. agricultural processor Archer Daniels Midland Co posted higher third-quarter earnings on Tuesday amid improved oilseed processing and ethanol margins and rising demand for grains.

Greece has signed up to a package of austerity measures designed to cut its deficit by 11 percentage points between 2009 and 2014, an aim that will deepen the recession and could spark a social backlash. The measures agreed this weekend with the EU and IMF include more tax hikes and steeper cuts in wages and bonuses, in return for a record 110 billion euro ($146.5 billion) bailout. [ID:nLDE64107I] According to the aid plan, Greece will have to save an extra 30 billion euros on top of tough measu...

Pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes hit a five-month high in March as buyers rushed to sign contracts before a tax credit expired, while a jump in factory orders pointed to manufacturing strength.