IBT Staff Reporter

Two senior Citigroup executives told a group of investors the bank will only pay back government funds this month if it is comfortable with regulators' demands and market conditions, two people at the meeting said.

The House of Representatives approved the biggest changes in financial regulation since the Great Depression on Friday, marking a win for the Obama administration and top Democrats in Congress.

Verizon Communications Ivan Seidenberg, 63, definitely falls into that category as evidenced by his request that the Wall Street Journal's Joann Lublin keep his reply off the record when she asked him about succession at a conference on Friday.

U.S. securities regulators are looking at what Bank of America (BAC.N) disclosed to shareholders as it was acquiring Merrill Lynch, including the investment bank's mounting fourth-quarter losses that eventually topped $15 billion.

Business Split on Climate Change; More Financial Fraud; Autoworkers Get New Chief

Angelina Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt were very affectionate to each other hugging and caressing at the UNICEF Ball in Beverly Hills, California on Thursday.

Microsoft Windows 7 sales are expected to rise in 2010, along with the demand for new hardware like PCs and servers, according to a Goldman Sach's IT spending survey forecast.

Airbus parent EADS is sticking to plans to boycott a potential $50 billion competition to build a U.S. Air Force refueling fleet absent major changes in the way the winner would be picked.

A jailed New York hedge fund manager whose fraud was revealed in the wake of the Madoff scandal, admitted in court on Friday to fabricating client account statements and overstating asset values by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Option investors who buy and sell puts and calls for a fraction of the price of actual shares in blue chip companies like McDonald's Corp and Caterpillar Inc will soon get a chance to do the same with Berkshire Hathaway Inc .

The Dow and S&P 500 closed up for a third straight session on Friday after several solid consumer-related reports reinforced investors' confidence in a steady recovery by the economy.

Consumers stepped up their spending in November and grew more optimistic this month, unexpectedly strong data showed on Friday, raising hopes a self-sustaining economic recovery was starting to unfold.

The Dow and S&P 500 closed up for a third straight session on Friday after several solid consumer-related reports reinforced investors' confidence in a steady recovery by the economy.

Two more U.S. Senators jumped into the climate bill debate on Friday, offering a proposal that would cap planet-warming emissions but reduce the role of Wall Street in carbon markets.

France's EDF (EDF.PA) could take up to 20 percent in the underwater section of the South Stream gas pipeline bringing Russian gas to Europe and there could be other partners, one of the project leaders said.

Shares of Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc (SNSS.O) were up for the second day on Friday, after positive data from two clinical trials of its experimental cancer drug, Voreloxin, boosted investor confidence.

Michael Arrington of TechCrunch has filed a federal lawsuit against Fusion Garage over the former CrunchPad tablet, which is now currently called the Joo Joo tablet.

Michael Jackson will be awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award on January 30, the Recording Academy said in a statement Thursday.

The new restrictions covering the most of the 26 to 100 most highly compensated employees at bailed out firms AIG, Citigroup, GM and GMAC were issued today by President Obama's Pay Czar Stephen Feinberg.

Verizon Communications Inc has no need to buy DIRECTV , the company's Chief Executive said on Friday in response to a question about recent speculation the Verizon might buy the satellite TV provider.

Two companies' shares fell in their debuts on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, capping a week of poor performance for initial public offerings as investors grow choosier at year-end.

A jailed New York hedge fund manager whose fraud was revealed in the wake of the Madoff scandal, pleaded guilty in court on Friday to charges of bilking investors of an estimated $150 million.

The lawyer of Rachel Uchitel, one of Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses, has threatened to sue the The View for calling her client a hooker on the show.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the biggest changes in financial regulation since the Great Depression on Friday, marking a win for the Obama administration and congressional Democrats.

Jamie Jungers, one of Tiger Woods' multiple mistresses, worked for an escort service although she denies it, said the owner of the service Michelle Braun.

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark told a Delaware court on Friday he did not voice his objections to shareholder eBay Inc when the online giant launched a rival classifieds business.

The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Friday as a stronger-than-expected retail sales for November reinforced investors' confidence in a steady recovery of the economy.

Jamie Jungers who claims to have had an 18-month affair with Tiger Woods appeared Friday on the Today Show in order to clear the air about the false rumors surrounding her story.

Jamie Jungers, a woman who claims to have had a one year and a half relationship with Tiger Woods, appeared on NBC's Today show to deny that she received money from him and that she worked as an escort.