IBT Staff Reporter

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton left North Korea on Wednesday with two American journalists whose release he secured in a meeting with the hermit state's leader, possibly opening the way to direct nuclear disarmament talks.

The Obama administration insisted on Tuesday it had not offered any sweeteners to North Korea in its nuclear standoff with the West in return for its release of two American journalists to former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Apple attempted to silence a father and daughter with a gagging order after the child's iPod music player exploded and the family sought a refund from the company, The Times reported on Monday.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton left North Korea on Wednesday with two American journalists whose release he secured in a meeting with the hermit state's leader, possibly opening the way to direct nuclear disarmament talks.

China will stick to its loose fiscal policy for at least three years despite a growing budget deficit, a government economist said in comments published on Wednesday.

UBS AG is in talks to hire former Merrill Lynch executive Robert McCann to head its wealth management business in the Americas, the Financial Times said on Tuesday, citing people close to the negotiations.

Sony Corp will begin selling this month the cheapest digital book reader for the United States, taking rival Amazon.com Inc head-on in the small but fast-growing market for electronic readers.

Consumers Spending More, GM's Thumbs Up, Clunkers Go!

An animated music video directed by the late actor Heath Ledger debuted on the Web on Tuesday, and it's an attack on the whaling industry set to the song King Rat by alternative rock band Modest Mouse.

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a new wireless keyboard and mouse peripherals equipped with 2.4GHz technology design for natural wrist posture and Windows 7 optimizations.

The board of General Motors Co endorsed the automaker's direction and the focus of management after the first meeting of directors since GM emerged from a U.S. government-financed bankruptcy last month.

On Tuesday, Intel unveiled new low power Xeon chips which automatically lower its power usage when not in use. The new low voltage version of the Intel Xeon 5500 series processor, dubbed “Xeon L5530, provides performance per watt improvements in blades and high-density computing.

President Barack Obama turned 48 years old on Tuesday. The White House said he did much of his birthday celebrating over the weekend with friends and families at Camp David.

Kraft Foods Inc reported a higher-than-expected 11 percent rise in quarterly profit and raised its full-year forecast as the largest North American food maker benefits from price increases, cost cuts and people eating more meals at home.

Yum! Brands' Taco Bell division will revamp its website and digital marketing, announcing on Tuesday it has hired its first digital agency to take on those tasks.

Whole Foods Market Inc on Tuesday posted third-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations, as sales rose, and the seller of organic and gourmet food items raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Yahoo Inc will get slightly more revenue from Microsoft Corp during the second half of the companies' recently announced 10-year Internet search partnership.

DISH Network Corp and EchoStar Corp said on Tuesday they were pleased the Patent and Trademark Office issued an initial office action rejecting TiVo Inc's software claims as invalid.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell on Tuesday signed legislation on Tuesday that will extend jobless benefits in the state for an additional seven weeks for more than 23,000 residents.

Stocks edged higher on Tuesday, led by the financial sector as economic data pointed to a sustained if slow recovery from the recession, taking the Dow and the S&P 500 to nine-month highs.

The U.S. government's Cash for Clunkers program has boosted the U.S. auto sales to the highest level of 2009 in July, which is surprising success to both car dealers and the government.

The world's seas hold so many mysteries, most notably the massive inhabitants that overwhelm our senses; the odd-looking ones that make us scratch our heads; and the vividly-painted creatures that we can't stop staring at.

There's something exhilarating, magical, and beguiling about going to Greece. It's like going to Disneyland for the first time. You build yourself up for something incredibly amazing

Pony Inc. on Tuesday said it dismissed its trademark infringement suit against competitor Nike Inc.

Whole Foods Market Inc on Tuesday posted third quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations, as sales rose, and the seller of organic and gourmet food products raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Britain is aiming to replace short-haul aviation with high-speed rail travel and plans for such a network are well advanced, Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis told the Guardian newspaper.

Fast-food chain operator Jack in the Box posted an adjusted quarterly profit that beat Wall Street estimates as price increases and lower commodity costs helped offset a drop in sales.

The U.S. Senate will approve a $2 billion proposal to extend the cash for clunkers auto sales incentive by week's end, the Senate Democratic leader said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama is still searching for the right person to lead the fight against an epidemic of cybercrime, the White House said on Tuesday as it came under fire following the resignation of a top cybersecurity adviser.