IBT Staff Reporter

Silvio Berlusconi's cutting remark about a female rival's lack of beauty has stirred a rare public backlash from thousands of Italian women who had largely kept silent about the prime minister's womanising and sex scandals.

Russia's MTS would achieve synergies of more than $300 million if it fully consolidates Comstar, Sistema, the parent of both the companies, said in a presentation on Tuesday.

Coca-Cola Co reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue, hurt by declines across all its businesses, and said a weak economy would keep consumers under pressure next year, sending shares down 2.4 percent.

UAL Corp , parent of United Airlines, posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss on Tuesday, and its shares rose 4 percent.

Education provider Corinthian Colleges Inc said it agreed to acquire Heald Capital, the parent company of Heald Colleges, in a cash deal valued at about $395 million, including debt.

The hijacking of a Chinese coal ship in the Indian Ocean shows Somali pirates are extending their reach beyond the Gulf of Aden and the Somali coast, shippers said as traders worried that more coal ships could become targets.

Economic highlights; SEC's 'Aggressive' Tactics; Limiting the Fed

Iran's military accused the United States and Israel of terrorism as it held a funeral on Tuesday for high-ranking commanders killed in the deadliest attack in the Islamic Republic since the 1980s.

Nine North Koreans who took refuge in Denmark's embassy in Hanoi nearly four weeks ago have left the mission and are on their way to South Korea, a Danish consular official said Tuesday.

Improving nutritional value of U.S. school food programs by increasing servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains could increase the cost of breakfast by as much as 25 percent and lunch by 9 percent, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Parents and caregivers who place car seats on beds, kitchen counters and other places outside the car injured 43,000 U.S. children over five years, researchers reported on Monday.

Coca-Cola Co reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue, hurt by declines across all its businesses, and said a weak economy would keep consumers under pressure next year, sending shares down 1.5 percent.

More than 100 new cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy got infected with swine flu at July 4 barbecue and fireworks display but quick isolation measures got it under control within two weeks, researchers reported on Tuesday.

General Motors looked poised to sign over carmaker Opel to Canada's Magna as fears the EU might scupper the deal were dispelled, but Spanish workers planned strikes to protest looming cost cuts.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday welcomed Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's acceptance of a run-off election on November 7, saying it was an important step forward for democracy.

Doctors who surprised the world of AIDS research with a study showing a vaccine prevented some HIV infections released details of their findings on Tuesday and said careful review showed they held up.

U.S. oil major Hess Corp said it could pursue external funding options, such as debt or share issues, if its own cash flows are, as some analysts predict, insufficient to meet the cost of developing its projects.

Taliban militants attacked Pakistani forces and recaptured a strategic town on Tuesday while two suicide bomb blasts at an Islamic university in the capital killed six people and wounded at least 20, officials said.

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as strong quarterly results from bellwethers such as Apple and Caterpillar were offset by disappointing data on housing starts and inflation.

EU regulators should block Oracle Corp's plan to buy open source database MySQL via its takeover of Sun Microsystems Inc as Oracle may hinder MySQL's development, two technology and consumer groups said.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp reported a third-quarter net loss after a charge to restructure its investment portfolio, but earnings excluding one-time items topped expectations and its shares climbed almost 3 percent.

Lockheed Martin Corp , the top U.S. defense contractor, posted higher third-quarter profit and raised its 2009 outlook on Tuesday, but added that it expects per-share earnings to fall in 2010.

Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday it will never abandon its legal and obvious right to nuclear technology and will not curb uranium enrichment, despite talks the West hopes will lead to restraints on the program.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is probing more than 100,000 doubtful claims of a tax credit meant for first-time home buyers, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Tuesday.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai must face an election run-off against his main rival on November 7, officials said on Tuesday, to resolve a disputed first round that plunged the country into months of political uncertainty.

Chemical maker DuPont posted a better-than-expected 11 percent jump in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, but revenue fell short of Wall Street estimates.

Diversified U.S. manufacturer United Technologies Corp reported a 17 percent drop in third-quarter profit, that nonetheless beat Wall Street estimates, as cost-cutting helped offset slumping demand.

New construction of U.S. homes rose less than expected in September as ground-breaking activity for multi-family dwellings fell sharply, highlighting the economy's uneven recovery path.

South Africa's Standard Bank is close to launching a A$250 million ($230 million) forestry fund in Australia, aimed at selling carbon offsets to companies, in what is believed to be the largest fund of its kind so far.