IBT Staff Reporter

Asian shares hovered near 14-month highs on Monday, shaking off an early dip after disappointing earnings from U.S. corporate bellwethers such as General Electric Co spurred some investors to take profits.

Asian shares pulled further away from 14-month peaks on Monday after disappointing earnings from U.S. corporate bellwethers such as General Electric Co spurred some investors to take profits.

U.S. stocks could slip this week if the spate of earnings from bellwethers including Apple Inc and Caterpillar Inc do not live up to heightened expectations.

The financial crisis has spotlighted the importance of dealing with global imbalances in trade and capital flows, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Sunday at a Fed conference on Asia.

Tens of millions of U.S. computers are loaded with scam security software that their owners may have paid for but which only makes the machines more vulnerable, according to a new Symantec report on cybercrime.

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.

Tens of millions of U.S. computers are loaded with scam security software that their owners may have paid for but which only makes the machines more vulnerable, according to a new Symantec report on cybercrime.

Verizon Communications is advertising new discounts on Monday for customers who sign up for four of its telecommunications services, as it looks to recoup market share from cable rivals in the holiday shopping season.

Just about every month -- if not every week -- a new study emerges touting the health benefits to be gained from a daily glass of wine or a pint of dark beer.

An experimental drug appears to cross a protective barrier in the brain that screens out most chemicals, offering potentially better ways to treat brain tumors, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.

Women who become obese -- a step above overweight -- by the age of 18 are more likely to become infertile and develop polycystic ovarian syndrome than others, new research suggests.

Postmenopausal women may lessen their chances of fracturing a hip by adding soy-based foods to their diet, a study from Singapore hints.

Some treatments for inflammatory bowel disease increase the risk of infection-related cancers, French scientists said on Monday, but the benefits of the drugs still outweigh the risks.

Scientists who watched tumor cells spread in living mice said on Sunday they had found a gene signal controlling how cancer cells move, which could help companies design new drugs to fight the disease.

Geithner's Deficit Warning; Earnings Still Key; Antitrust Toy Probe

CME Group Inc, the world's largest derivatives exchange, is in talks to take over the Chicago Board Options Exchange in a deal that would value the largest U.S. options market at up to $5 billion, according to Crain's Chicago Business.

After rallying to an intraday high above 0.9250 in Asia on Friday risk appetite waned somewhat sending the Aussie dollar back below 92 cents in offshore trade.

Stephen Schwarzman is rapidly becoming the king of the thrill ride.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of Republican senator John McCain posted a sexy photo herself on her Twitter page Wednesday evening sparking online controversy.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday they have evidence that the runaway balloon incident was a hoax and a publicity stunt that was done in order to get the family a reality show.

Charges on the 6-year-old balloon boy's family are pending after the Larimer County Sheriff's Office in Colorado today announced it has determined the incident last week was a publicity stunt.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday they have evidence that the runaway balloon incident was a hoax and a publicity stunt that was done in order to get the family a reality show.

U.S. stocks could slip this week if the spate of earnings from bellwethers including Apple Inc and Caterpillar Inc do not live up to heightened expectations.

The United States must live within its means once its economy recovers if it is to preserve global confidence in the U.S. dollar's status, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday.

North Korea has been seeking a summit between the leaders of the rival Koreas, an official in Seoul said on Sunday, marking another step in its attempts to reach out to the world after being hit by U.N. sanctions.

Pakistani forces exchanged heavy fire on Sunday with Taliban defending their heartland, a day after launching an offensive aimed at bringing the writ of the state to lawless lands on the Afghan border.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought on Sunday to broker a deal on tax cuts between her conservatives and the Free Democrats (FDP) and achieve a breakthrough in tricky talks to form a center-right coalition.

A suicide bomber killed six senior Revolutionary Guards commanders and 23 other people on Sunday in one of the boldest attacks on Iran's most powerful military institution.

Swiss bank UBS AG warned U.S. customers by registered mail their account details may be given to U.S. tax authorities, a method that could itself breach secrecy laws, a Swiss paper said on Sunday.