UNITED STATES

Unemployment, poverty and social injustice are the top global concerns and most people think their country is heading in the wrong direction, according to a new poll.

The U.S. manufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace in nearly seven years in January and signs of inflation jumped more than expected as the world's biggest economy gained traction.

U.S. stocks, led by Pfizer and Bank of America, surge.

France's Sanofi-Aventis has agreed to raise its bid for Genzyme Corp to the low $70's per share range, plus a milestone payment based on the performance of an experimental drug, a source familiar with the situation said.

U.S. stocks climbed on Tuesday as the market's focus shifted to signs of economic strength and away from geopolitical concerns.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said on Tuesday he had high hopes for the first inter-Korean talks in months, marking a significant softening in tone and holding out the possibility of a summit with North Korea.

In direct defiance of her father’s policies and views, Barbara Bush, one of former President George W. Bush’s twin daughters, supports gay marriage. She has taped a video which calls for the state of New York to legalize same-sex marriage.

United Parcel Service, the world's largest package delivery company, reported a quarterly profit that beat estimates and forecast record-high profits in 2011, sending its shares up more than 4 percent.

U.S. construction spending unexpectedly fell in December to touch its lowest level in nearly 10-1/2 years as investment in both public and private projects declined, suggesting the sector would continue to struggle this year as federal stimulus spending tapers off.

King Abdullah of Jordan, a close U.S. ally, replaced his prime minister Tuesday following protests inspired by mass demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt, but the opposition dismissed the move as insufficient.

A big blizzard making its way through the central United States has significantly affected air travel, with nearly 8,000 flights having been cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday.

British music company EMI Group said that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) has seized control of the company from struggling financier Guy Hands, in a move that it will probably lead to the sale of EMI.

The U.S. doesn't uphold democracy in the Middle East, which is highly hypocritical given the country's explicit ideological alliance freedom, democracy, and the universal rights of people, said Robert Grenier, former director of CIA's Counter-Terrorism Center

France's Sanofi-Aventis may raise its bid for U.S. biotech Genzyme Corp to about $76 or $77 per share, including a potential future payout based on the performance of an experimental drug, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

A Pakistani court on Tuesday ordered the government not to release an American official arrested in the killing of two Pakistanis who allegedly tried to rob him, despite U.S. insistence that he has diplomatic immunity and has been detained illegally.

At least one million people rallied across Egypt on Tuesday clamouring for President Hosni Mubarak to give up power, piling pressure on a leader who has towered over Middle East politics for 30 years to make way for a new era of democracy in the Arab nation.

Business news and financial data provider Thomson Reuters is strengthening its legal process outsourcing (LPO) unit, Pangea3, by hiring full-time, temporary, and experienced contract attorneys for its new facility in Michigan.

American Bar Association (ABA) president Stephen N. Zack wants the Bar Council of India (BCI) to maintain the status quo while it debates on whether it should allow foreign law firms to set up offices in the country.

The bull market in Gold is in its 12th year (globally it began in 1999) but has yet to exhibit any bubble-like conditions. Institutional accumulation began in 2009 (e.g. Paulson, Einhorn) and we know that phase lasts at least a few years before a bull market gives birth to a bubble.

The U.S. manufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace in nearly seven years in January, and prices paid jumped more than expected in the latest sign the economic recovery is gaining traction.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as investors shifted focus to strong earnings and manufacturing data and less on the turmoil in the Middle East.