UNITED STATES

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), the world's second-biggest health care company, said Tuesday that its second-quarter net income fell by half due to lower sales, litigation charges and unfavorable currency conditions. Johnson & Johnson also lowered its 2012 profit forecast.

Gilead Sciences Inc's Truvada was approved for people who are not yet infected but may engage in sexual activity with HIV-infected partners, a concept known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC), the troubled financial behemoth that teetered just above the abyss during the last few weeks of 2011 and has since made somewhat of a recovery, is expected to swing to profit when it reports quarterly financial results Wednesday morning.

Move over Kate Middleton! We have some hot new royalty on our hands. On a recent episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians everyone's favorite Kardashian baby dadd, Scott Disick, decided to take advantage of his trip to London by becoming British royalty.

Consumer prices in the U.S. were flat in June as the higher cost of food offset another drop in energy, according to government statistics released Tuesday, further confirming the Federal Reserve's view that the jump in fuel costs was only temporary.

The Senate probe, which also lays heavy criticism on HSBC's prime U.S. regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), goes so far as to suggest that lawmakers should consider revoking the bank's charter to operate in the U.S.

YouTube is the favourite news spot for 71 percent of American adults up from 66 percent (in 2010), who visit the site to stay tuned, says a survey conducted by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. The study adds that 28 percent of American adults visit YouTube daily.

Gold experts have further cut back price forecasts for the metal this year after a sluggish first half, a quarterly Reuters poll showed on Monday, while gains in the dollar and a dearth of physical demand are likely to clip any attempted return to last September's record high for the rest of the year.

A fire at a New Zealand gold mine owned by Newmont Mining Corp on Tuesday forced the evacuation of almost 30 miners holed up in underground refuge chambers and halted all operations.

Gold prices rose towards $1,600 an ounce on Tuesday in line with the firmer euro as investors awaited a statement from Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke later, after soft U.S. data fuelled talk he may hint at fresh measures to stimulate the economy.

Black women account for only 13 percent of the U.S. female population, but undergo more than one-third of all abortions.

High nominal and real interest rates can be found in the Latin American short-term fixed income markets

Closely following earlier reports that Syria had started moving some parts of its huge stockpile of chemical weapons out of storage, the most senior Syrian official to defect to the opposition has said that the Syrian regime will not hesitate to use chemical weapons in a last-ditch effort at survival.

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Tuesday as investor sentiment turned positive on expectations for new U.S. Federal Reserve stimulus measures.

Crude oil prices slightly advanced Tuesday as investors awaited testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for hints about further easing.

The South China Sea has become Asia's most dangerous flashpoint of conflict. The settlement of the South China Sea dispute will involve compromise and an appreciation of the relative power of the countries involved, says Jeffery Atik, law faculty member at the Loyola law School, Los Angeles.

The top after-market Nasdaq gainers Monday were Digital Generation Inc, Codexis Inc, NuPathe Inc, Synacor Inc and Marten Transport Ltd.The top after-market Nasdaq losers were Mattress Firm Holding Corp, Select Comfort Corporation, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc, ICU Medical Inc and FLIR Systems Inc.

Asian markets were rose Tuesday as investors continued to be hopeful that central banks all over the world would soon announce stimulus measures to tackle the weakening global economy.

An anti-Obama YouTube video uploaded to Mitt Romney's official campaign website on Monday was taken down within a number of hours for allegedly violating a copyright.

Mitt Romney's campaign needs the backing of Ron Paul's fervent supporters if he wants to have a chance of beating President Barack Obama, prominent conservative thinker Max Pappas told Sean Hannity on his Fox News show.

The mommy porn book trilogy has taken over the pop culture lexicon in 2012.