IBT Staff Reporter

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to do better if he wanted U.S. support, and that included creating a major crimes tribunal and anti-corruption commission.

U.S. President Barack Obama told Chinese students on Monday he did not fear their nation's rise, ahead of talks on trade imbalances and currency strains that underline the sometimes tense embrace between the two giants.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Monday, adding to two weeks of gains, as a decline in the U.S. dollar helped lift commodity prices and boost natural resource stocks, while data showed consumers spent more than expected in October.

Sarah Palin is stirring controversy with her new book even before it is on shelves, complaining she was all bottled up by advisers to Republican presidential candidate John McCain last year.

Criminal gangs are making millions of dollars out of the H1N1 flu pandemic by selling fake flu drugs over the internet, a web security firm said on Monday.

Hollywood veterans turned out in force to see Lauren Bacall, grand dame of film noir, receive an honorary Oscar at the motion picture academy's Governors Awards on Saturday night, away from TV cameras.

Wall Street was set to rise at the open on Monday, adding to two weeks of gains, as a decline in the U.S. dollar helped lift commodity prices and boost natural resource stocks while data showed consumers spent more than expected in October.

Agreement in Copenhagen next month on a new pact to fight climate change will encourage long-term investors to move into firms better placed to cope with a likely and eventual rise in the cost of carbon emissions.

American squeamishness about talking about sex has helped keep common sexually transmitted infections far too common, especially among vulnerable teens, U.S. researchers reported Monday.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in October as consumers bought more motor vehicles and other goods, but the previous month's figures were revised sharply downward, a government report showed on Monday.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in October as consumers bought more motor vehicles and other goods, but the previous month's figures were revised sharply downward, a government report showed on Monday.

Confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu infection in Germany have more than doubled in the past week, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said.

U.S. health regulators requested information from nearly 30 makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages on why they believe their products are safe.

Lowe's Cos Inc , the second-largest U.S. home improvement chain, posted a 30 percent decline in quarterly profit as consumers put off big renovations and a U.S. housing market recovery takes longer to materialize.

U.S. retail sales rebounded in October as vehicle purchases rose even without support from government incentives, a Reuters survey predicted, which could allay some fears over the strength of the economy's recovery.

Flu infections may be peaking in some parts of the northern hemisphere, but are still spreading fast in others, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

Heart attack patients in need of emergency procedures were less likely to suffer further serious cardiovascular events, including death, when given AstraZeneca's experimental Brilinta blood clot preventer than those who used Plavix, according to a study presented on Sunday.

People of Japanese and European descent who have mutant versions of five genes may be at higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, two large teams of researchers have found.

Disaster swept the world during the weekend as the apocalyptic movie 2012 registered the biggest opening for a non-franchise movie.

Former Seinfeld writer-producer Larry Charles, who went on to direct the Borat and Bruno movies, is returning to NBC with a semi-scripted project.

FX has snapped up TV rights to 2012, the disaster movie that just enjoyed a blockbuster $225 million opening weekend worldwide.

British actor Edward Woodward, best known for his lead role in the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man and a veteran of the stage, died on Monday aged 79, his agent said.

Kara DioGuardi wants to hang out with Ellen DeGeneres before the new season of American Idol to get the judges working together comfortably.

A former prostitute whose memoirs were turned into the TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl has revealed her true identity -- Brooke Magnanti, a British research scientist.

The better the dog, the busier you have to keep him.

Boeing , which expects airlines to return to profitability in 2011, said on Monday that Middle East carriers would need 1,710 new jets over the next 20 years, valued at about $300 billion.

U.S. stock index futures gained on Monday, taking a cue from rising global markets, as a weaker dollar lifted commodity prices in a boost to natural resource stocks and investors looked ahead to economic data and a speech by the Federal Reserve chairman.

It takes a lot to frighten Carey Mulligan, the British actress who delivered a fearless performance as a 1960s schoolgirl seduced by an older man in An Education.

Smaller U.S. brokers are cashing in on the opportunity to provide prime brokerage services to small and mid-sized hedge funds as top players rebuild their crisis-scarred operations by focusing on large money managers.