UNITED STATES

Gold futures dropped on Monday, weighed down by a dip in crude oil prices and a strengthening U.S. dampening investors demand for the precious metal.

Consumer electronics sales in the U.S are likely to slow in the upcoming year according to an industry trade group, however the industry will still see growth above 5 percent driven by television and audio products.

CITIC Securities, China's largest listed brokerage, said on Monday its net profit more than quintupled last year.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei average hit a new 17-month low on Monday, beaten down by fresh worries about the U.S. economy that sent Wall Street tumbling and prompted investors to sell chip shares.

Gold drifted further away from its recent record highs on weaker oil prices and a rebound in the dollar, but analysts said on Monday that sentiment was positive.

The dollar rose on Monday after losses the previous session, as investors trimmed bets against the currency given persistent U.S. inflation pressures that may prevent the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates aggressively.

The U.S. economy needs $100 oil like a hole in the head. The spike in oil to a fresh record on Wednesday is not single-handedly going to tip the United States into a recession. But on top of a housing slump and lingering credit crisis, it increases the head winds facing the battered U.S. consumer.

McDonald's Corp is set to launch coffee bars with baristas serving cappuccinos and lattes, moving into direct competition with global coffee chain Starbucks Corp., The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates at the world's largest technology show predicts that his industry is on the cusp of the next digital decade.

Democrat Barack Obama rocketed to a 10-point lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire one day before their showdown in the state's presidential primary, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Monday.

Electronics makers considering the strain on the U.S. economy are hoping consumers will cut other expenses first, but many see some worrying signs ahead. Gathered in Las Vegas this week for the Consumer Electronics Show, gadget, cell phone and television makers are placing their bets on whether U.S. economic troubles from rising unemployment to mortgage market problems will stop consumer spending.

Toshiba Corp said on Sunday its HD DVD high-definition video format is not dead despite being dealt a big setback by Warner Bros studio's decision to exclusively back Sony Corp's rival Blu-ray technology. Akiyo Ozaka, president of Toshiba America Consumer Products, told a briefing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that HD DVD has not lost.

Pakistan will not allow any country to conduct military operations on its territory, officials said on Monday, rejecting a report that said the United States was considering authorizing its forces to act in Pakistan. The New York Times said on Sunday the U.S. government was considering expanding the authority of the CIA and the military to conduct far more aggressive covert operations in Pakistan....

Gadget lovers and technology enthusiasts will get a mega dose of new product announcements for the coming year as the International Consumer Electronics Show, the biggest U.S. trade show, opens Sunday night in Las Vegas with more than 140,000 people expected to attend.

Georgians voted on Saturday in a presidential election expected to hand the former Soviet state's leader a narrow win, but opponents accused him of rigging the poll and threatened street protests. The election is the first big test of voters' faith in the Rose Revolution of 2003 that swept Mikhail Saakashvili to power on a tide of euphoria, but which many people complain has failed...

The Iraq war, once the key issue in the U.S. presidential election, is taking a back seat to the economy as voters fret over a possible recession and consider the improving security situation in Baghdad.

Hopes for double-digit earnings growth in 2008 have all but evaporated

It has been called the 800-pound gorilla but it's getting scant attention in the U.S. election

Is the consumer electronics industry becoming a champion of the environment

The dollar fell against the yen on Friday after a pair of U.S. government reports raised concern about the economy, indicating that hiring slowed in December and the unemployment rose to a two-year high.

U.S. stocks on Friday declined after the data released showed rising unemployment causing expectations of a recession.