IBT Staff Reporter

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Tuesday portrayed its energy trading as hedging that should be exempt from proposed U.S. government limits on the volume of contracts that speculators can trade.

Hong Kong's H1N1 tally has reached1389 with 62 new cases conformed within 24 hours, among whom one is in critical situation, the Department of Health (DH) said on Tuesday.

Microsoft Corp warned that cybercriminals have attacked users of its Office software for Windows PCs, exploiting a programing flaw that the software giant has yet to repair.

Yum Brands Inc , parent of the Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC chains, cut its full-year forecast for sales on weakness in its two biggest markets, the United States and China, and its shares fell 3.9 percent.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. posted record second quarter earnings as revenue from trading and stock underwriting delivered all time high results. Revenue at the New York-based bank jumped 46 percent to $13.8 billion compared to the same period last year. Net earnings grew 65 percent to $3.43 billion compared to a year ago.

CIT Group Inc and government officials remained locked in talks on Tuesday as the lender to thousands of small businesses pushed for government aid in its fight to survive.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chaired by Democrat Barbara Boxer held two separate hearings on climate change legislation today. Crude oil inventories fell by 1.16 million barrels last week. Exxon Mobil Corporation will invest more than $600 million to develop biofuels from photosynthetic algae

Intel Corp., the world's biggest chipmaker, reported its first loss in 22 years on Tuesday as it recorded a $1.45 billion charge related to a European Union antitrust fine.

U.S. stocks managed modest gains on Tuesday as better-than-expected corporate profits overshadowed concerns about weak consumer demand.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday it will offer $300 million in rebates funding for consumers who purchase home appliances qualified by Energy Star.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc said quarterly earnings surged 33 percent on blowout trading results, trouncing forecasts and putting the bank on pace for hefty bonuses that could draw unwanted scrutiny.

A jump in auto and gasoline sales salvaged an otherwise lackluster June for U.S. retailers, while an inflation gauge jumped by twice as much as expected, suggesting a long-awaited economic recovery will be sluggish.

Samsung on Tuesday introduced a new line of its SL-series camera with high end display features.

Hewlett-Packard's EDS closed a $90 million technology infrastructure management agreement with three financial services firms in Chile.

EBay Inc is pulling the plug on its annual eBay Live! event, eschewing the large networking affair for a series of more intimate gatherings to connect sellers.

Corrects name of blogger in 7th paragraph, Ina instead of Ira

U.S. stocks managed modest gains on Tuesday as better-than-expected corporate profits overshadowed concerns about weak consumer demand.

U.S. President Barack Obama's plans to overhaul the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry got a boost on Tuesday as Democrats in the House of Representatives offered sweeping legislation and predicted passage on schedule by August.

British Airways Plc, which is facing a tough business class market, is launching a contest to give away 1,000 round-trips starting in September.

Internet criminals are doing business like legitimate companies to successfully execute their work, according to the Cisco midyear edition security report.

Microsoft Corp's chief executive attempted to laugh off the challenge of Google Inc's planned computer operating system on Tuesday, conceding only that it was interesting.

Don't know which wine to have with a pepperoni pizza? There's an app for that -- as well as websites and Twitter.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who ran for Vice President with Republican candidate John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Elections, called the American Clean Energy and Security Act a threat to the U.S. economy in an op-ed piece published in the Washington Post paper on Tuesday.

Sun Microsystems Inc warned that quarterly results will sharply miss Wall Street projections, but the news did not appear to faze Oracle Corp , which is buying the company for $7 billion.

Just three months after iTunes hit the 1 billion milestone, and after Saturday's one-year anniversary of the popular mobile app store - iTunes has now reached a record number of 1.5 billion downloads.

Shares of Yum! Brands, Inc rose on Tuesday ahead of the company's second quarter earnings report to be released after the market closes. The Louisville, Ky-based firm had previously predicted that the second quarter would be its toughest of the year.

US Airways Group on Tuesday said it would reduce airport staffing by 600 jobs this fall because of weak demand for business travel and declining revenue.

American cyclist Lance Armstrong remained third overall at the conclusion of the 10th stage of the Tour of France on Tuesday.

Sun Microsystems Inc warned that quarterly results will sharply miss Wall Street projections, but the news did not appear to faze Oracle Corp , which is buying the company for $7 billion.