MARKETS / FINANCE

World stocks fell to a one-week low on Monday and the euro hit a three-week trough against the dollar as investors worried the U.S. jobs market may be beyond easy repair and Europe faced a series of risks that would reignite its debt crisis.

It looks like rumors about Samsung Hercules may turn out to be true as Engadget has provided an Oct. 26 release date for both Hercules and HTC Ruby.

Europe faces a string of political and legal tests this week that could hurt efforts to resolve its sovereign debt crisis and increase pressure for governments to try more radical solutions.

Downtown Oakland was bustling with activity this weekend as people gathered to attend a marijuana street fair, touted as the first in the nation.

Italy's chaotic efforts to pass a new austerity plan already included disputed figures, policy U-turns and cabinet rows even before Silvio Berlusconi's latest brush with scandal added prostitutes and wiretaps to the mix.

European shares were set for sharp losses on Monday after Asian stocks slid and the euro hit a three-week low against the dollar, as fears of a renewed U.S. recession and sustained worries about the euro zone debt crisis prompted investors to sell riskier assets.

Recent gains in the Chinese yuan have helped curb price rises in the country, but it's too early to conclude that Beijing has won its battle on inflation, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Monday.

As global companies expand in Asia, financial hubs such as Hong Kong are suffering a shortage of international school places that may blunt the city's competitive edge against regional rivals including Singapore.

China needs to rebalance its economy by boosting consumption since the country cannot rely on exports and investment alone to drive growth over the longer term, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Monday.

Asian stocks fell and the euro slipped to a three-week low against the dollar on Monday as fears of renewed recession in the United States and sustained worries about the euro zone debt crisis prompted investors to sell riskier assets.

The Dutch government said on Sunday it was investigating whether Iran may have been involved in hacking Dutch state websites after digital certificates were stolen.

Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti promised on Sunday to meet Italy's budget commitments after the European Central Bank stepped up pressure for action by the struggling center-right government.

A consortium that included the Chinese government was the biggest buyer of a 5 percent stake in China Construction Bank Corp sold last month by Bank of America, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Greece's finance minister said on Sunday Greece was speeding up structural reforms to exit a debt crisis and dismissed reports about a breach in the nation's relations with its international lenders.

The United States enters this Labor Day faced with many problems, and the most serious of which concerns jobs -- the state of working America is in its most trying condition in generations, with the unemployment at a very high 9.1 percent, and the nation short at least 11 million jobs.

Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti promised on Sunday to meet Italy's budget pledges after growing speculation over whether the European Central Bank may cut back its purchases of Italian government debt.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Sunday called for the creation of a United States of Europe, saying the bloc needed a common government to avoid future economic crises.

The Slovak parliament will vote on strengthening the euro zone joint rescue fund in December at the earliest, the head of junior government party said on Sunday, prolonging uncertainty over when the new powers could take effect.

With a surprise Verizon Korean-translated commercial showing an additional frame revealing a Sept. 8 release date, expect the Droid Bionic to be launched on Thursday.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said in an interview released on Sunday that Europe and the United States should consider stimulating economic growth, if the situation permits, to offset a crisis of confidence hitting the global economy.

The United States has written to Switzerland to demand it hands over detailed information this week on its citizens using Swiss accounts to dodge tax or see Credit Suisse and nine other banks face charges, newspapers reported on Sunday.

On some days when they were starting out, the Bansals would get on a motorbike to make the rounds of book warehouses around Bangalore, ride back to their two-bedroom apartment and package up orders for online customers.

Here are the reasons why iPhone 5 will be the best selling smartphone.

Friday's jobs report that showed hiring in the United States unexpectedly ground to a halt in August is increasing speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve will move to stimulate the economy. But will it help stocks?

August is over and it actually was not as bad for stocks as widely advertised.

The interruption of talks between Greece and international lenders on a new aid tranche is a blow to the stability of Europe's currency, the deputy leader of Germany's junior coalition partners said on Saturday.

To say it's been a discomforting time for U.S. stock investors lately would be an understatement. Europe debt concerns, a tepid U.S. economic recovery that’s not creating enough jobs, and now Hurricane Irene’s damage has jolted institutional investors. Given the above, where’s the Dow headed from here?

Tea Party members and other conservatives would like Americans to believe that the United States’ problems started in 2009, but nothing could be further from the truth -- three major policy errors by President George W. Bush last decade substantially worsened the U.S.’s fiscal condition, and the nation has been trying to recover ever since.

ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet kept up warnings over Italy's strained public finances Saturday, telling the struggling center-right government it must act quickly to reassure nervous markets.