IBT Staff Reporter

Sales in Japan of new cars, trucks and buses fell about 3 percent in September from the year before, a source said on Wednesday, underscoring the fragile state of the stimulus-driven recovery in Japanese vehicle demand.

Ford Motor Co said on Thursday its U.S. auto sales fell 5 percent in September from a year earlier as demand slumped off in part due to the end of the U.S. government's cash for clunkers incentive program.

The United States said on Thursday six-power talks with Iran had opened the door to better relations with the West but cautioned Tehran it must take concrete steps to prove it was not seeking nuclear arms.

New accounting rules show that Apple's profitability of the iPhone could be much higher than previously expected, according to a new report.

Female Health Co's new version of its female condom is now available to state health agencies and nonprofit organizations, but the company is still trying to make it more widely available in stores.

U.S. consumer spending rose at its fastest in nearly 8 years in August, but a persistently weak labor market and below-forecast expansion in manufacturing in September could hamper a nascent economic recovery.

The Dow and S&P 500 suffered their worst one-day fall in three months on Thursday after economic reports fueled fears about the recovery's strength.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in sweets and processed meats, may help lower the risk of breast cancer in some African-American women.

Elizabeth Smart testified today that she was raped daily by her captor when she was kidnapped seven years ago and that she was threatened to be killed if she yelled or tried to escape.

The very first doses of swine flu vaccine will start arriving in states and cities that ordered it on Tuesday, and might be sprayed up the first patients' noses by the end of the week, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.

The victim kept captive for nine months by self proclaimed preacher Brain David Mitchell today testified at Salt Lake City how the homeless preacher raped her daily.

Experiments which mimicked a low-calorie diet by tinkering with genes in mice extended their lives and prevented disease, and a drug that has the same effect could give people longer, healthier lives, scientists said on Thursday.

Congressional approval of an Obama administration plan to create a systemic risk regulator for the U.S. economy looks more likely after lawmakers noted a change in tone by the Federal Reserve on Thursday.

Support for abortion rights has slipped in America this year and now barely edges opposition, while the issue's importance has fallen, according to a new survey released on Thursday.

Bank of America's board of directors is looking at hiring a short-term chief executive from outside the bank to give internal candidates more time to develop, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Stocks suffered their worst one-day loss in 3 months on Thursday as data on jobs and manufacturing data added to recent lackluster economic figures, fueling fears about the recovery's strength.

Arizona Public Service said late Wednesday Starwood Energy Group Global LLC terminated a long-term power purchase agreement on Starwood's proposed 290-megawatt concentrating solar power plant in Arizona.

Fifteen states could run out of hospital beds and 12 more could fill 75 percent of their beds with swine flu sufferers if 35 percent of Americans catch the virus in coming weeks, a report released Thursday said.

The jobless rate does not have to start falling before the Federal Reserve starts tightening monetary policy, a top Fed official said on Thursday.

Congressional leaders on Wednesday pressed General Motors Co and Chrysler to resolve complaints about dealer franchise terminations the automakers pushed through during their brief bankruptcies.

General Motors Co [GM.UL] said on Thursday that its U.S. September auto sales fell 45 percent, pressured by weak consumer confidence, low inventory levels and the end of the U.S. government cash for clunkers incentives.

San Antonio's municipal utility will make a key decision next week on whether to invest billions of dollars to expand Texas' largest nuclear power station, with the city's mayor raising cost concerns.

New automobile sales in Brazil jumped 19.85 percent in September from August, the national dealers' association Fenabrave said on Thursday, as consumers raced to take advantage of an expiring tax break.

Since Wednesday, September 23, natural gas spot prices fell at most market locations, with decreases generally ranging between 10 and 30 cents per million Btu (MMBtu). Prices at the Henry Hub declined by 19 cents per MMBtu, or about 5 percent, to $3.24 per MMBtu.

U.S. consumer spending rose at its fastest pace in nearly 8 years in August, but the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week, indicating a weak labor market would weigh on recovery.

Foreign minister S.M. Krishna said on Wednesday China should not object to the Dalai Lama's planned trip to a northeast Indian state, part of which Beijing claims in a festering border dispute between the two Asian powers.

Network equipment maker Cisco Systems struck a deal to buy Norwegian videoconferencing company Tandberg for $3 billion in a bid to dominate the high-growing market of corporate video communications.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as data on jobs and manufacturing data added to recent lackluster economic figures, fueling fears about the recovery's strength.

The average rate on 30-year U.S. home loans fell in the past week to retest record lows, helping stimulate housing demand, Freddie Mac said on Thursday.