IBT Staff Reporter

The impacts of climate change have worsened almost every year since 1980, according to a study on Wednesday inspired by the Dow Jones stock index that distils global warming into a single number.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday praised a healthcare compromise reached by Senate Democratic negotiators and said it could clear the way for passing a sweeping healthcare reform overhaul.

President Barack Obama said Wednesday he will allocate nearly $600 million from the $787 billion economic stimulus plan to help create jobs at 85 community health centers.

With the emerging Asian economies rebounding from the global economic downturn faster than the G-7 economies, the Asia-Pacific region is the leading driver of global economic recovery and higher oil demand. Although the emerging Asian economies were generally less exposed to financial risks and credit default arrangements than the U.S. and European economies, many of them have taken strong stimulus measures throughout 2009 that are expected to boost domestic demand, financial credit, and greater...

Europe's food industry is proving slow to buy palm oil certified under a new scheme as produced without destroying tropical rain forests, the head of Germany's edible oil industry association OVID said on Wednesday.

German conglomerate Siemens, the world's market leader in offshore wind turbines, is aiming to become one of the top three suppliers to the wind power market by 2012, the head of its Wind Power unit said.

Nelson Mandela received the touch of God -- Hollywood-style -- when Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman prepared to play him in new movie Invictus.

Former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin called for U.S. President Barack Obama to boycott the Copenhagen global climate change conference later this month, saying it will reach politically motivated results based on agenda-driven science.

Demand for U.S. home loans rose last week to the highest level in about two months, mostly from borrowers taking advantage of low mortgage rates to refinance, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

U.N. climate talks have neglected a food crisis, including measures which can both curb climate change and boost food production, the head of the U.N.'s food agency said.

German conglomerate Siemens, the world's market leader in offshore wind turbines, is aiming to become one of the top three suppliers to the wind power market by 2012, the head of its Wind Power unit said.

Environmental investment manager Impax Asset Management Group Plc is preparing to capitalize on the buzz around the Copenhagen summit to tap into new markets in the United States, the group's CEO said on Wednesday.

Splitting its clean energy project portfolio between voluntary and U.N.-backed carbon offsets has reduced South Pole Carbon Asset Management's exposure to regulatory uncertainty, the company's chief executive said.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell slightly on Wednesday on concerns about foreign debt and a weak outlook in the tech sector, but positive wholesale inventory data limited losses.

Taking a page out of Apple's book, France Telecom's mobile phone unit Orange launched its own shop to sell downloadable videos, games, music and other content to its 130 million mobile phone subscribers.

Apple Inc is preparing to launch a tablet personal computer in late March or April, with manufacturer partners poised to roll out as many as 1 million units per month, according to an Oppenheimer research note.

Apple Inc is preparing to launch a tablet personal computer in late March or April, with manufacturer partners poised to roll out as many as 1 million units per month, according to an Oppenheimer research note.

The Treasury Department said on Wednesday it froze a $1 billion public-private investment fund set up by TCW Group Inc to buy toxic financial assets, saying the departure of star manager Jeffrey Gundlach triggered a key person event in the partnership.

The United Nation's climate change summit has been billed as the last hope to save the world from itself. Brought on by a rise of man-made greenhouse gases, the earth is slowly inching towards a man-induced climate disaster, urgent for coordinated action...or so the saying went.

Citigroup upgraded No. 3 U.S. mobile service Sprint Nextel Corp to a buy rating citing a possible tie-up with Deutsche Telekom AG and expectations of improvement in subscriber numbers.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Wednesday for bipartisan cooperation to boost jobs and help small businesses through a series of initiatives that he has proposed to tackle double-digit unemployment.

Shares of U.S. health insurers rose on Wednesday after efforts to overhaul the health system moved away from creating a government-run insurance plan long viewed as damaging to the industry.

New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady and his wife Gisele Bundchen welcomed a baby boy on Wednesday, the player confirmed today according to the Associated Press.

Two leading international human rights groups gave U.S. President Barack Obama mixed reviews on his human rights record on Wednesday, a day before he is slated to accept the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

Leigh Steinberg, one of the country's leading sport agents spoke Wednesday on The Early Show about Tiger Woods sponsorships and the advice he would give Woods if he were his agent.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday there was no deal for now between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas on freeing an Israeli soldier held in Gaza.

U.S. wholesale inventories unexpectedly rose in October for the first time in more than a year, suggesting the economy could get a lift as a long-running effort by businesses to pare stocks reaches an end.

Shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust held steady in their debut on the New York Stock Exchange, trading up only 10 cents from Tuesday's initial public offering price of $20.

Germany's Volkswagen AG will buy a one-fifth stake in Suzuki Motor Corp for $2.5 billion, tapping the Japanese firm's expertise in small cars and dominance in India as VW seeks to become the No.1 automaker.