IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. Treasury bonds fell on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve announced a $200 billion plan to boost lending to banks in a move to thaw frozen credit markets.

Gold futures closed with modest gains Tuesday after the Federal Reserve said it will for the first time, lend $200 in treasuries in exchange for debt that includes mortgage-backed securities. Silver fell.

The dollar rose against the euro and yen on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve announced it would boost lending to credit-hungry U.S. financial institutions in a bid to avert a recession.

Acting on Moscow's directive to drop its first choice to go aboard a Russian spacecraft, South Korea has named Yi So-yeon, a female mechanical engineer to become the country's first person in space.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest electronics and information technology company headquartered in Suwon, South Korea has teamed up with Adidas, the German sportswear giant, to launch miCoach - a pedometer, heart rate monitor, MP3 player and a cell phone, all rolled into one.

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 30-share prime index, the Sensex, on Monday, weathered early losses of nearly 4 percent to end down 0.32 percent or 51.80 points at 15,923.72.

Robusta coffee continued gaining on Tuesday after roasters took advantage of a decline last week.

Cotton posted high gains on Tuesday amid speculations that dollar decline was increasing demand for futures traded in New York.

U.S. crude oil declined from a new record above $109 on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve announced measures to inject liquidity into the financial system.

The FTSE 100 share index dropped 1.2 per cent on Monday following poor performances by banks, miners and housebuilders.

European Union regulators approved Google's $3.1 billion takeover of ad firm DoubleClick, an online ad tracker on Wednesday, saying the deal will affect online advertising competition. The Commission, the EU's top competition watchdog, said it found no proof that a merger between Google and DoubleClick would cause competitors to go out of business, according to Associate Press.

The dollar come under aggressive selling pressure against the yen, falling to its lowest level since 2000 at 101.38 as heightened risk aversion prompted a sharp rally by the Japanese currency. Persistent fears of instability in the US

Hulu.com, the Internet joint venture between News Corp and General Electric's NBC Universal, will make its catalog of TV shows and video clips available for free to anyone on the Web.

U.S. stock futures pointed to opening with gains on Tuesday in New York after closing in the red three days in a row.

Soybeans and soybean oil declined on Monday after investors sold some commodities to raise cash following a demand from banks for more money to back the available money positions in stocks and bonds.

Corn increased on Monday boosted by a an increase of crude oil which revived speculation that demand for crop-based fuel such as ethanol will increase.

U.S. copper futures closed down at a two week low on Monday as investors worry about an economic recession in the United States and less demand from China.

Treasuries prices rose on Monday on more news of deteriorating financial markets as investors fled to less risky investments.

Gold futures finished with a modest loss on Monday, extending their decline from last week, as investors sold precious metals to cover losses in equity markets. Silver also fell.

The dollar slipped against the yen on Monday on concerns that a U.S. recession could dent stock prices but steadied after the head of the European Central Bank raised a warning about currency exchange rates.

Drinking water will never be the same as we once knew it to be.

Crude oil futures in New York rose to a new record on Monday as traders invested in the commodity as a hedge against a falling dollar.

U.S. stock futures were steady on Monday, point to a flat start, after indexes closed at a 19 month low on Friday following data that showed a second straight drop in monthly employment.

Heath Ledger's family quickly responded to rumors on Saturday that his daughter, Matilda Rose, would not be provided for after his death.

Countdown began on Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida toward Tuesday's launch of the Space Endeavour, less than three weeks after the last shuttle flight.

Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is trying to soothe the frayed nerves of the banking sector by assuring that the $15 billion loan waiver package for poor and marginal farmers, announced as a budgetary policy on Feb.29, would not hurt the banking system but rather strengthen it.

UK-based Standard Chartered Plc announced, Friday, it has sold its Indian asset management business to one of India's oldest lending institutions, Infrastructure Development Finance Co. (IDFC), in an all-cash $205 million deal (before deductions for local taxes and deal expenses).

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) company Reliance Energy Limited (REL) announced, Wednesday, its board has approved buyback of shares worth upto Rs.2,000 crore ($500 million) in a bid to ward off volatility and speculative activity in its share price and improve the company's valuation.

The 30-share prime index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, dropped 3.42 percent, Friday, to its lowest close in nearly six months on fears of economic slowdown in the US and rising inflation back home.