IBT Staff Reporter

China has banned foreign investment into its lucrative online games industry in an effort to tighten control over its virtual worlds.

The swift downturn in California's economy and the ensuing wave of job losses cost Sue and Nabil Boctor their house.

Michael Jackson's new single This Is It began streaming online and playing across the radio airwaves Monday, nearly four months after the king of pop died of a prescription drug overdose aged 50.

British bank Lloyds (LLOY.L) has lined up six investment banks to run a rights issue expected to be worth over 10 billion pounds ($15.9 billion) as the lender seeks to cut its reliance on the government, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown plans to detail a sale of government assets on Monday aimed at raising 3 billion pounds ($4.8 billion), a draft of a speech provided by his office showed on Sunday

U.S. President Barack Obama's top economic adviser said on Monday the United States is on the path toward economic recovery, conditions in financial markets are steadier and there have been initial signs of stabilization in the housing market.

Demand for public stock offerings in Hong Kong and throughout the region remains strong, despite a few recent deals that struggled, according to a panel of three investment bankers and one hedge fund investor.

Stock futures climbed on Monday as a softer dollar helped boost commodity prices and, potentially, earnings of export oriented U.S. companies.

U.S. stock index futures climbed on Monday as a softer dollar helped boost commodity prices and, potentially, earnings of export oriented U.S. companies.

Large Caps Set for Big Season; Blackstone's IPOs; Hummer Pursuit

European stocks were up 1.2 percent by midday on Monday, hitting a near three-week high, as forecast-beating results from Philips (PHG.AS) fuelled hopes over results ahead of this week's earnings from bellwethers.

Tengzhong, the Chinese buyer of General Motor's Hummer brand, aims to close the deal by early 2010, with regulatory approval looming as the first of what will likely be multiple hurdles on the road ahead.

Chinese shares lostearly gains to profit-takers on Monday, with worry over hugesupplies of new shares from IPOs offsetting the impact ofmarket-friendly central government measures on the mainland.

President Barack Obama's top economic adviser said on Monday the United States is on the path toward economic recovery, conditions in financial markets are steadier and there have been initial signs of stabilization in the housing market.

A rally by miners and energy stocks, spurred by firmer commodity prices, helped Britain's top share index extend gains by midday on Monday as it rose above 5,200 points for the first time since September 2008.

Britain's top shares rose 1.0 percent early on Monday, regaining 5,200 points for the first time in over a year on advances in oil majors and a rally by Vodafone (VOD.L), with investors awaiting the next batch of U.S. earnings.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 rise 0.4-0.6 percent, pointing to a higher start on Wall Street on Monday.

As third quarter earnings season takes off, bigger is better. With the U.S. economy emerging from recession, large cap stocks are set to have a stronger third-quarter earnings season than their mid and small cap counterparts, which are expected to rebound at a slower pace

Tengzhong, the Chinese buyer of General Motor's Hummer brand, aims to close the deal by early 2010, with regulatory approval looming as the first of what will likely be multiple hurdles on the road ahead.

Oil rose above $72 a barrel on Monday, extending last week's rally, on optimism about the pace of global economic recovery and indications of stronger oil demand.

U.S. President Barack Obama's top economic adviser said on Monday the United States is on the path toward economic recovery, conditions in financial markets are steadier and there have been initial signs of stabilization in the housing market.

Philips Electronics reported better than expected third-quarter results on Monday, boosting its share price as the benefits of its cost-cutting program took effect, but the company said it had still not seen a recovery in most of its markets.

European shares followed Wall Street higher on Monday on optimism about the third-quarter earnings season, while the dollar gained for the second session in a row.

Dutch conglomerate Philips Electronics' reported a better than expected third-quarter operating profit on Monday as a result of cost reductions but the company remained cautious, seeing no recovery in many of its markets.

Oil topped $72 a barrel on Monday, extending last week's gains, thanks to growing optimism about the pace of the global economic recovery and a positive demand forecast from the International Energy Agency.

The dollar edged further away from 14-month lows on Monday as investors trimmed bets against the beleaguered U.S. currency, while South Korean stocks dragged down other Asian markets on worries third-quarter earnings may not live up to expectations.

Several U.S. companies have awarded stock options to top executives while engaged in merger negotiations, the Wall Street Journal said, citing an academic research paper and its own review of company filings.

The Philippines ordered imports of 250,000 tonnes of rice on Monday as officials said two typhoons over the past 15 days had badly damaged farmlands and roads in the north and killed over 650 people.

South Korea proposed on Monday holding talks with the North on preventing flooding from a river flowing across their border that killed six South Koreans last month when the communist state released a surge of water without warning.