Oil prices hovered below $99 a barrel Wednesday in Asia as investors eyed a jump in U.S. crude inventories and signs of sluggish economic growth.

Benchmark crude for March delivery was up 15 cents at $98.63 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 30 cents to settle at $98.48 on Tuesday.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has presented parliament a draft budget that would cut government spending by 5.6 percent while allocating more money for development projects.

The $416 billion budget, unveiled Wednesday, is about 5 percent less than the previous year's budget, and comes at a time when Iran is facing mounting international sanctions and isolation over its controversial nuclear program. Iran disputes the West's claim that the program is aimed at producing weapons.

Airport authorities in the Emirati capital have been cleared to begin building a futuristic airport terminal that will house fast-growing Etihad Airways.

State-run Abu Dhabi Airports Company said Wednesday it hopes to begin construction on the planned Midfield Terminal Complex between April and June after getting approval from the emirate's Executive Council.

A warning to men considering a pricey new treatment for prostate cancer called proton therapy: Research suggests it might have more side effects than traditional radiation does.

A study of Medicare records found that men treated with proton beams later had one-third more bowel problems, such as bleeding and blockages, than similar men given conventional radiation.

A group of Internet hackers said Tuesday it took down the website of Brazil's second largest private sector bank, one day after it did the same with the country's largest private bank.

The group that calls itself "Anonymous Brasil" said on Twitter: "Attention sailors: Target hit! The http://bradesco.com.br is sinking. TANGO DOWN."

Ukrainian authorities say they have shut down a popular file-sharing website, saying it violated copyright laws.

Interior Ministry Spokesman Volodymyr Polishchuk said Wednesday that Ex.ua was closed after complaints from Microsoft, Adobe and other companies.

The Mexican Museum in San Francisco is joining America's largest museum network.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the museum of Latino art and culture on Tuesday becomes the city's first museum to join the Smithsonian Institution's Affiliations Program.

First lady Michelle Obama cajoled TV talk show host Jay Leno into nibbling on apples, sweet potato fries and a pizza made with eggplant, green peppers and zucchini on the "Tonight Show," breaking his long-held aversion for all-things-healthy in his diet.

Leno once told a magazine he hadn't eaten a vegetable since 1969, and he insisted he tasted his last apple in 1984. That didn't dissuade the first lady, who's promoting her "Let's Move!" campaign to get kids excited about fitness and healthy eating habits.

In a season where little grows in the Northeast, something in Brooklyn is doing just that, foot by foot.

The metal guts of what will be a sleek three-tiered glass box surrounding the Theatre for a New Audience's 299-seat stage have gone up in a former parking lot as part of the city's ambitious plan to create a new $650 million cultural district.

A large retrospective exhibition of Andy Warhol's artwork will tour five Asian cities over the next three years.

The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh says the exhibit will be the pop art icon's largest ever in Asia. It will include more than 300 paintings, photographs, screen prints, drawings and sculptures.