IBT Staff Reporter

New single-family home sales in the United States fell in August to a 6-month low in a sign the crippled housing market will not provide much support for the flagging economy anytime soon.

Expanded Federal Reserve efforts to boost tepid growth and cut high unemployment are justified as broken housing markets and depleted household wealth act as a brake on the recovery, a top Fed official said on Monday.

U.S. advertising-technology companies Donovan Data Systems Inc and MediaBank LLC plan to merge and create a new company called MediaOcean, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Some people have complained about changes in Facebook, but not Rolanda Hill, who used the social media site to seek help after an armed robber broke into her home and stole her cell phone.

Warren Buffett's conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway said it will launch a share buyback program, an extremely rare move from Buffett that comes after months of investor complaints that the stock was undervalued.

Former Bundesbank chief Axel Weber has asked the German central bank if he can join UBS earlier than planned, in a sign the chairman-designate wants to exert his grip on the bank following a trading scandal, two financial sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Facebook is dramatically changing its designs and features, but one thing will remain unchanging on the fast-changing social media giant: you will never pay to use Facebook services.

U.S. planemaker Boeing said local defense contractors might build F/A 18 Super Hornets under license if Japan chose to buy the next-generation fighter jet.

The euro zone debt crisis is sapping consumer confidence and if policymakers do not take effective action soon the consequences will be felt the world over, retail executives warned on Monday.

Dow Jones Indexes said on Monday an issue that delayed price quotes at the open on the widely followed Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> had been resolved and feeds were showing live quotes.

Gold's toppling from record highs, culminating in Monday's unprecedented $120 price plunge, has investors asking whether a decade-long bull run is over. History would suggest that while gold has taken a beating, it is far from down and out.

Expanded Federal Reserve efforts to boost tepid growth and cut high unemployment are justified as broken housing markets and depleted household wealth act as a brake on the recovery, a top Fed official said on Monday.

The United Auto Workers union and Ford Motor Co will begin high-level financial discussions on Monday in an effort to reach a new labor deal that workers expect to be richer than one with General Motors Co .

Macy's Inc will hire about 4 percent more seasonal workers this holiday season as it anticipates higher sales.

Netflix Inc has won a deal to pipe Dreamworks Animation movies starting in 2013, the first time a major Hollywood studio has chosen Internet streaming over traditional pay TV, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> did not reflect its components' stock prices for more than 10 minutes at the open on Monday, as Dow Jones Indexes said it had faced a technical problem.

New single-family home sales in the United States fell in August to a 6-month low but the supply of homes available on the market dropped to a record low.

Apple Inc shares dipped 1 percent in early trading after an analyst said the iPhone maker is cutting orders from suppliers of parts for its iPad tablet.

EU antitrust regulators are investigating whether a group of banks, including Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Spain's BBVA, is blocking new players from entering the European online payments market.

Manchester United will play FC Basle in their second UEFA Champions League group game on Tuesday, but they face the prospect of playing without eight first-team contenders.

Communicating with local people in a foreign country can pose difficulties, whether it is asking for direction or making a special request at a restaurant.

Wall Street stocks were set to open about 1 percent higher on Monday on hopes euro zone policymakers were putting together new measures to help ease the region's debt crisis, but the lack of clarity on their potential effectiveness was seen keeping markets volatile.

Investors and analysts who think a government bailout for the troubled French banking sector is increasingly likely are focusing on what form any aid could take, even as banks continue to deny they need state help.

The recent sell-off in gold may not be enough to make some hedge funds with long-term bull positions change their views that the metal is still one of the best bets for profit in a perilous global economy.

Gold was set for its biggest three-day loss in 28 years on Monday, as investors fled commodity markets in a scramble to secure cash in the face of mounting fear over the impact of a potential Greek debt default on the rest of the euro zone.

After a slew of speculations about the iPhone 5 release crowded the web, several media reports indicated that Tim Cook, the new CEO will unveil iPhone 5 at a special event on October 4 in Apple’s Cupertino Campus.

Bankers are bracing for a Greek default, and their best hope is that Europe can erect firewalls around the banking system strong enough and soon enough to prevent it from spreading to other euro-zone countries.

Gold pared some of Monday's losses by midday in Europe but was still on course for its largest monthly slide in three years, as investors scrambled for cash in the face of mounting fear over the impact of a potential Greek debt default.

Stock index futures rose on Monday on hopes European policymakers were putting together new measures to help ease the region's debt crisis, but the lack of clarity on their potential effectiveness was seen keeping markets volatile.