IBT Staff Reporter

Models present creations by Japanese designer Junya Tashiro at a fashion show during Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo, October 19, 2009.

Apple reported better than expected fourth quarter earnings on Monday after the closing bell, sending shares up 7 percent in after hours trading.

Apple Inc, despite its often conservative and sand-bagged guidance, is expected to report impressive fourth quarter results on Monday afternoon, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Obama administration on Monday launched a program to help the depressed U.S. housing market by effectively allowing state and local housing finance agencies to borrow from the U.S. Treasury.

U.S. stocks rose to fresh 12-month highs on Monday as optimistic investors rode a wave of solid quarterly results.

Google Inc said more than 2 million businesses now use its online office software, and the Web search leader is going global on Monday with an advertising campaign to lure customers away from Microsoft Corp and IBM products.

Talks between Iran and world powers on a deal to allay concerns about Tehran's nuclear drive started well on Monday, the U.N. atomic agency chief said, despite Iran's reported refusal to negotiate with France.

American diva Beyonce has postponed a concert in Malaysia after the country's opposition Islamist party raised protests against her performance, concert organizers said.

Gasoline differentials in markets east of the Rockies are expected to hold unseasonal strong levels this week, after last week's surprise drawdown in inventories, as disciplined refiners hold the line on production, industry sources said on Monday.

Medical device company CareFusion Corp said on Monday it has begun shipping more than 3,900 ventilators to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for inclusion in its strategic national stockpile in preparation for the H1N1 swine flu pandemic.

Will a decline in home sales in one of the most recent reports be a temporary dip in the U.S. real estate market or possibly a new downward trend with implications for the entire U.S. economy?

JA Solar's founder has resigned as vice chairman of the board and will leave the company, the solar power player said on Monday, saying he will pursue other business interests.

Shares in Motorola Inc rose over 8 percent on Monday on investor anticipation that its second phone powered by Google Inc's Android system would be a hit at Verizon Wireless.

U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, extending a two-week run-up as better-than expected corporate earnings increased investors' optimism.

Verizon increased its bid to generate buzz over its Motorola Android-powered 'Droid' this weekend by rolling out an ad the questions the usefulness of Apple's iPhone.

Shares of SunPower Corp rallied more than 6 percent on Monday as analysts upped their view of the company ahead of its quarterly results slated for this week.

Companies trying to market products to mothers need to head onto the Internet with a survey showing the 21st century mother is online daily, using Facebook to connect to friends and Google to diagnose illnesses.

Polycom Inc is expected to post strong third-quarter results, but investors will be more keen on gauging the impact of Cisco's planned acquisition of Tandberg on the U.S. videoconferencing company.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc's expansion into e-commerce will likely be successful as the company's aggressive price cuts and broad distribution capability may give Amazon.com Inc a run for its money, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday.

Hasbro Inc posted revenue that fell short of Wall Street expectations on Monday as weakness in brands like Monopoly and Strawberry Shortcake offset strong sales of boys' toys tied to the G.I. Joe and Transformers movies.

IBM placed senior executive Robert Moffat on leave of absence after he was arrested in the largest ever hedge fund insider-trading scheme.

Hedge-fund manager David Einhorn, who warned about Lehman Brothers' precarious finances before it collapsed, said on Monday he's betting on rising interest rates and holding gold as a hedge for what he described as unsound U.S. policies.

Footballers are teaming up with governments, companies and international health campaigners to push for action against malaria ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Anurag Kotoky and Matthias Williams

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on Monday that Asian export-promotion policies and large U.S. budget deficits could refuel global economic imbalances and put efforts to achieve more durable growth at risk if not curbed.

The new H1N1 flu is strikingly different from seasonal influenza, killing much younger people than ordinary flu and often killing them very fast, World Health Organization officials said on Friday.

Dutch supermarkets group Jumbo bought Super De Boer for 552.5 million euros ($825 million) on Monday, fighting off a rival bid to create a chain of stores that will pressure market leader Ahold.

It may not seem like it when commuters are shouting down their cell phones to the dismay of other passengers but most Americans believe there are unspoken rules about mobile phone etiquette.

New construction of U.S. homes and permits for future building likely rose in September, supported by an improvement in sales and declining stocks of unsold properties, according to a Reuters survey.