IBT Staff Reporter

S&P 500 stock index futures sank further on Monday and global equity markets declined as investors reassessed stock valuations following a six-month run-up.

Oil fell by more than 2 percent to $70 a barrel on Monday as further signs of weak fuel demand raised expectations prices may have raced ahead of the nascent economic recovery.

Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc said it expects third-quarter sales of its gel Acthar for treatment of infantile spasms (IS) to be about 20 percent lower than the 161 new, shipped and paid prescriptions in the second quarter.

A U.N.-backed watchdog that has ordered a partial recount of Afghanistan's presidential election votes because of fraud allegations said on Monday it will allow small samples of ballots to be inspected to speed up the process.

A united Korea -- combining Asia's fourth biggest economy with one of its poorest -- could surpass that of Germany or Japan in economic might in the next 30-40 years, U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs said on Monday.

The top U.S. communications regulator plans to unveil proposals Monday for ensuring Web traffic is not slowed or blocked based on its content, sources familiar with the contents of the speech said on Friday.

Violence and unrest instigated by separatists agitating for an independent Xinjiang have hit economic development hard in the far western Chinese region, a government policy paper said on Monday.

Biopharmaceutical company Nektar Therapeutics said it entered into a worldwide licensing deal with AstraZeneca Plc to develop two of its experimental drug candidates.

Israel has not given up the option of a military response to Tehran's nuclear programme, senior officials said on Monday, after Russia's president said his Israeli counterpart assured him it would not attack Iran.

President Barack Obama travels to New York on Monday to promote his strategy to improve the U.S. economy by spending on education and innovation, as he shifts his focus from healthcare reform to a week of diplomacy and international economic issues.

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan says in a confidential assessment of the war that without additional forces the mission will likely result in failure.

Environmental activists are taking to the Internet in a new bid to help save the world's rainforests with the help of major corporations including Starbucks Corp and Dell Inc.

The red carpet sizzled with heat and color on Sunday as many of television's biggest stars arrived at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in bright reds, blues, purple and yellow gowns.

Natalie Portman impresses mightily in Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, playing a second wife and grieving first-time mother grappling with the thorny complexity of family dynamics.

It is a fascinating question: Why do all those cheated-on political wives stand there and take it?

To film critic Billie, there are three stages of womanhood: Meg Ryan in 'Sleepless in Seattle,' Meg Ryan in 'You've Got Mail' and Meg Ryan in the grocery store saying, 'No, really, I'm Meg Ryan.'

Singer Leonard Cohen is expected to return to the stage on Monday after he collapsed during a concert in Spain on Friday and was rushed to hospital.

Nigerian author Uwem Akpan, who is a Jesuit priest, said he was humbled that his debut collection of short stories was chosen by influential U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey for her book club.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Monday as a resurgent U.S. dollar sparked a pullback in global commodity prices and investors sought more definitive signs to justify the market's six-month run-up.

30 Rock and Mad Men were awarded the best comedy and drama series respectively at the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sunday night.

Oil fell by almost 2 percent toward $70 a barrel on Monday as further signs of weak fuel demand raised expectations prices may have raced ahead of the nascent economic recovery.

U.S. stock index futures briefly cut losses on Monday after computer maker Dell Inc announced a $3.9 billion proposed takeover of Perot Systems .

Twitter is closing a round of funding that will value the company known for its 140-character, stream-of-consciousness blogs at $1 billion, technology news site TechCrunch reported on Wednesday.

Proving that he could well succeed as a critic should his current gig not work out, Jeff Probst summed up it nicely.

The low-rated shows 30 Rock and Mad Men shared the spotlight at the Emmy Awards for a second year on Sunday, but most of their stars were snubbed as the acting awards went to repeat winners or surprise choices.

China has quietly eased restrictions on its citizens traveling from Guangdong province to Macau, sending casino stocks soaring on Monday as industry executives bet on record October earnings in the world's hottest gambling market.

World stocks retreated further from last week's 11-month high on Monday as lower commodity prices and caution ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting and G20 summit prompted investors to trim risky trades.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.6 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.5 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.7 percent at 4:18 a.m. EDT.

Asian stocks eased on Monday, pulling further away from 13-month highs hit last week, as investors worried prices may have raced too far ahead of economic fundamentals, with shares in China feeling supply pressures ahead of a string of IPOs.