A U.S. board that will tell Congress whether surveillance programs violate civil liberties wants to hear from companies including Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. on what data and access to servers they’ve given the government. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, appointed by President Barack Obama, is reviewing the scope of National Security Agency spy programs and will recommend whether new controls are needed to curb the government’s surveillance authority. Meetings with Internet

DALLAS (AP) ― Dell Inc. is making a late push to win shareholder support for founder Michael Dell’s plan to take the slumping computer maker private, an indication that Thursday’s scheduled vote could be close. Supporters of the $24.4 billion buyout offer believe Dell Inc. stands a better chance of turning around if it can make long-term strategic decisions without worrying about meeting Wall Street’s quarter-to-quarter expectations. But some big investors have already signaled opposition to the

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Microsoft said Tuesday it had asked the U.S. government for permission to disclose details of how it handles national security data requests, citing “inaccuracies” in recent media reports.Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said the company had asked the U.S. attorney general “to personally take action to permit Microsoft and other companies to share publicly more complete information about how we handle national security requests for customer information.”“We believe the U.S

Google Inc., operator of the world’s most-popular search engine, has held discussions with media companies to introduce its own online-television service, people with knowledge of the matter said. The product would offer viewers television packages that bypass cable subscriptions, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. The talks, which also cover issues related to online piracy, are preliminary and nothing is imminent, the people said. Google is rolling ou

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General Motors global sales up 4 percent in first half of year, may have gained on Toyota

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the nation will seek to keep economic growth, employment and inflation within limits, avoiding “wide fluctuations,” without elaborating on what the government deems acceptable. China should also develop a “scientific macroeconomic policy framework” to offer markets “stable predictability,” Li told a forum of advisers and executives Tuesday, according to a summary of the event published on the government’s website. Li’s comments, the first made public since the Nat

Barclays Plc and four former traders must pay a combined $487.9 million in fines and penalties, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in an order tied to an investigation of alleged manipulation of energy markets. The agency directed the company and traders to pay $453 million in civil penalties to the U.S. Treasury within 30 days, according to an order issued Tuesday. The London-based bank must also give up $34.9 million in profits, to be distributed to programs that help low-incom