IBT Staff Reporter

If you're going to be on either end of a kiss this Valentine's Day, you might want to consider smooching bare-lipped. Most lipstick contains lead.

Young Iranians abandoned thoughts of sanctions, nuclear power and economic hardship on Tuesday in favour of shopping for gifts and making dinner plans to celebrate love on Valentine's Day.

Half of American adults know someone who found love online, and while the Internet plays a more important role than before in starting relationships it is also a forum for cheating and lies that ends them, according to a survey released on Monday.

Goldman Sachs is the front-runner in an auction to buy the Colombian coal assets of Brazil's Vale, attempting to achieve strategic port access, while Glencore waits in the wings and rival traders stay away, industry sources familiar with the matter said.

Stocks of financial and basic materials companies led Wall Street lower on Tuesday after rallies by those groups this year, while the retail sector hit a record even as retail sales rose less than expected last month.

Greece's bid for a new bailout got close inspection on Tuesday from euro zone officials poring over the details of Athens' budget to decide whether it has met conditions to get the money.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on Tuesday said the Obama administration is close to presenting a set of principles to Congress to revamp the corporate tax code but that they will not be comprehensive and overhauling the tax code could take years.

A U.S. plan to drag out purchases of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet will increase the total cost paid by the United States and international allies, Lockheed Martin said on Tuesday.

Half of American adults know someone who found love online, and while the Internet plays a more important role than before in starting relationships it is also a forum for cheating and lies that ends them, according to a survey released on Monday.

The Obama administration's corporate tax reform plan will end dozens and dozens of breaks, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday as he defended the White House's election-year call for higher taxes from wealthy taxpayers.

The effects of a network-sharing deal with LightSquared are also excluded, Sprint said in an SEC filing.

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd reported robust quarterly results as its namesake luxury brand saw strong demand, and said it expects its accessories business to drive profits in the coming quarters.

India's determination to pursue trade with Iran despite Western sanctions could be undermined as wary exporters back away from fresh deals after a bomb attack in New Delhi blamed on Tehran, a trade association chief said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he had seen hopeful signs that Congress would pass a payroll tax cut extension for the full year, as he kept pressure on lawmakers to take action he said was needed to keep the U.S. recovery on track.

Avon Products Inc reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results as sales slid in every market except Latin America and the company saw a sharp drop in the number of representatives essential to selling its cosmetics directly to consumers.

Amazon.Com Inc, which has been spending heavily on expansion, said it will spend more than $90 million to open a fulfillment center at Middletown in Delaware.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he had seen hopeful signs that Congress would pass a payroll tax cut extension for the full year, as he kept pressure on lawmakers to take action he said was needed to keep the U.S. recovery on track.

The S&P 500 index retreated on Tuesday from near a seven-month high after weaker-than-expected January U.S. retail sales data curbed investors' appetite for risky assets.

Avon Products Inc reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results as sales slid in every market except Latin America and the company saw a 3 percent drop in the number of representatives who sell its cosmetics directly to consumers.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he had seen some hopeful signs that Congress would pass a payroll tax cut extension for the entire year, as he maintained pressure on lawmakers to take action he said was needed to keep the U.S. recovery on track.

Retail sales rose less than expected in January, hurt by discounting in the auto sector, but a rebound in an underlying measure of sales suggested a solid underpinning for the economy's recovery.

Retail sales rose less than expected in January as consumers cut back on car purchases and did less online shopping.

Retail sales rose less than expected in January as consumers cut back on car purchases and did less online shopping.

Philips Electronics said it shut down one of its servers on Monday because of a possible cyber attack and that it was investigating the nature and extent of the information that might have been accessed.

For years, Craig McCann played a prominent role as a top expert witness, his testimony helping to win millions of dollars for investors who sued financial companies.

Business inventories rose 0.4 percent in December, reinforcing the view that fourth-quarter economic growth received a big boost from companies restocking their shelves.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned on Tuesday that Europe's debt problems along with the slowdown in other major economies present potential impediments to U.S. growth.

For years, Craig McCann played a prominent role as a top expert witness, his testimony helping to win millions of dollars for investors who sued financial companies.

Xstrata PLC is looking to sell 20 percent of its proposed A$6 billion (US$6.4 billion) Wandoan Coal Project, to take place west of the Wandoan township in Queensland, Australia.