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AP – An oil and gas drilling technique that is becoming more widespread is drawing scrutiny from lawmakers concerned that it may pose a hazard to human health by tainting drinking water and harming the environment.

AP – The Energy Department will likely report a 1.65 million-barrel build in crude oil reserves on Thursday for the week ended Feb. 12, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

AP – Swiss bank UBS AG posted a fourth-quarter profit of 1.205 billion Swiss francs ($1.12 billion) Tuesday, beating analysts’ expectations partly thanks to a tax credit, but said rich clients’ withdrawals had continued.

Reuters – Brazil’s Camargo Correa Group must present a counterbid to take over cement maker Cimpor or withdraw its merger proposal, Portugal’s stock market regulator (CMVM) told the company on Saturday.

Monsanto’s Roundup Ready gene inoculates plants against a herbicide that kills everything but the crop. Monsanto’s critics claim that the company has used this technology to gain a monopolistic grip on the seed industry. The company has drawn lawsuits from competitors and investigations from state attorneys general and the Justice Department.

Reuters – Toyota Motor Co (7203.T), seeking to draw a line under a dire 2009, is ramping up in India with the launch of a new low-cost compact car to tap the fast-growing market.

Reuters – A former senior IBM Corp executive denied being involved in a sprawling hedge fund insider trading case and asked a court on Wednesday to dismiss civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

President Obama says the drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan could begin next summer, but America’s top commander tells NPR that it is “probably realistic” that it would be five years before the Afghan government is ready to assume control over security. In the interview, McChrystal offers further insights into the new war strategy.

Military experts are skeptical that the 30,000 extra troops will be enough to change the fundamental dynamics in Afghanistan, particularly if President Obama sticks to his new July 2011 target for beginning a drawdown of forces.

President Obama announced Tuesday his decision to aggressively increase the presence of U.S. troops on the ground in Afghanistan to 30,000. He also outlined an equally tight timeline for their withdrawal by July 2011. Some say the plan is the most consequential decision of his presidency to-date. Ashraf Haidari, a political counselor from the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C., and Afghan journalist Najib Sharifi are joined by former U.S. Army Captain Benjamin Tupper to discuss the heavy implications of the recent announcement and whether they agree with President Obama’s assessment of the situation.