IBT Staff Reporter

Courting GM; Economic Heads Up; Facebook goes Bigger

Stock index futures rose on Monday after four straight positive sessions for Wall Street, as global stocks hit 10-month highs on hopes that the U.S. economy will soon start to recover from recession.

China will maintain its stimulative policy stance because the economy, far from being on solid footing, is facing fresh difficulties, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Monday.

Oil crept up to near $74 a barrel on Monday within sight of a 10-month high, supported by optimism that an economic recovery will spur a rebound in energy demand.

Stock index futures rose on Monday after four straight positive sessions for Wall Street, as global stocks hit 10-month highs on hopes that the U.S. economy will soon start to recover from recession.

Stock index futures indicated a stronger start on Wall Street on Monday, extending the previous session's gains after stronger U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke lifted sentiment.

Opel labor leader Klaus Franz called on General Motors to pick a buyer for its European unit this week, and threatened spectacular measures if the U.S. group did not make a decision.

Warner Chilcott Ltd, a specialty drug maker, is acquiring Procter & Gamble Co's prescription drug business for about $3 billion, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Hurricane Bill weakened to post-tropical storm status on Monday after lashing Eastern Canada with heavy winds and rain and pounding the U.S. East Coast with heavy seas that killed two people.

Harvard University's multibillion dollar endowment is adopting a strategy of selling off some holdings in hedge funds, private-equity firms and other money managers to bring more money under the control of internal investing staff over the next few years, the Wall Street Journal said.

U.S. stock index futures indicated a stronger start on Wall Street on Monday, extending the previous session's gains after stronger U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke lifted sentiment.

A Democrat senator is expected on Monday to ask the Securities and Exchange Commission to review the stock market's structures, Dow Jones Newswires reported, reviving a debate over the market impact of computer-based trading.

U.S. stock index futures indicated a stronger start on Wall Street Monday, extending the previous session's gains after stronger U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke lifted sentiment.

Asian stocks jumped more than 2 percent on Monday, lifting world shares to a 10-month high, after upbeat U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spurred buying of riskier assets.

Miss Venezuela, Stefania Fernandez, was crowned Miss Universe 2009 on Sunday, giving her country its sixth title in the international beauty pageant.

A 400 billion euro ($774 billion) plan to power Europe with Sahara sunlight is gaining momentum, even as critics see high risks in a large corporate project using young technology in north African countries with weak rule of law.

Miss Universe 2009 crown was taken by Miss Venezuela, Stefanía Fernández, for a second year in a row.

Dr. Doom's Double Dip; Sidestepping the Republicans; Drug Deal for Chilcott

Gold was steady above $950 an ounce on Monday, pausing after touching a one-week high near $960 in the previous session, with investors keeping an eye on the currency market for clues on bullion's direction.

Police were called for the second time in three months to the Hollywood Hills home of actress Lindsay Lohan on Sunday to investigate a burglary there.

Yes, you want to have a great screenplay and a talented director, but no project ever gets made until a star's attached.

U.S. Democrats may sidestep Republican opposition to a sweeping healthcare overhaul by using Senate rules to pass some reform measures, a leading senator said on Sunday.

News Corp's Dow Jones & Co Inc is only in the early stages of exploring a sale of its stock market index business and a sales prospectus has not gone out yet, a source familiar with the matter said.

Warner Chilcott Ltd, a specialty drug maker, is acquiring Procter & Gamble Co's prescription drug business for about $3 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Warner Chilcott Ltd, a specialty drug maker, is acquiring Procter & Gamble Co prescription drug business for about $3 billion, the Wall Street Journal said on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.

U.S. auto dealers are asking the government to extend the deadline for submissions for its

A prominent banking analyst said on Sunday that 150 to 200 more U.S. banks will fail in the current banking crisis, and the industry's payments to keep the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp afloat could eat up 25 percent of pretax income in 2010.

After experiencing some strong selling pressure in Asia on Friday the Aussie dollar held onto support below 0.8220 to bounce back in aggressive fashion.

NASA said Sunday they have cleared space shuttle Discovery for liftoff Tuesday, adding that the weather looks promising.