IBT Staff Reporter

The yen rose across the board on Monday as global stock markets fell on worries of more credit-related troubles at U.S. banks, causing investors to reduce their exposure to risky assets and unwind carry trades.

Oil fell more than $2 on Monday after a warning by top bank Citigroup of more write-downs related to risky U.S. mortgages heightened concern over the economic health of the world's biggest fuel consumer.

Airbus parent EADS warned on Monday of a bigger-than-expected charge of up to 1.4 billion euros ($2.03 billion) from delay of its A400M military plane, forcing it to shelve its 2007 operating profit forecast.

Ryanair on Monday posted a 26 percent rise in second-quarter net profit broadly in line with analysts' expectations and raised full-year guidance as it pointed to brighter prospects for the winter.

Heart-failure patients given AstraZeneca Plc's Crestor and standard drugs are just as likely to have heart attacks and strokes or die of cardiovascular problems as those on standard therapy alone, researchers said on Monday.

PepsiCo announced a restructuring on Monday that will split the food and beverage company into three units -- one for food in the United States, one for U.S. drinks and one for food and drinks abroad.

Tesco, the world's third-largest retailer, has begun its long-awaited launch in the United States, opening its first store near Los Angeles.

The Federal Reserve will have to cut its federal funds target rate to prevent a dramatic fall in housing prices in the wake of the subprime mortgage meltdown, the manager of the world's biggest bond fund said on Monday.

Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said on Monday his firm's acquisition of a 1.6 percent stake in socializing Web site Facebook for $240 million was an important investment, not a mistake.

Shares in stricken British mortgage bank Northern Rock tumbled over 6 percent on Monday amid concerns that potential bidders will steer clear as the turmoil in global financial markets deepens.

The United States and Britain heaped pressure on Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on Monday, urging him to hold elections on time, as police detained hundreds of lawyers angry at his imposition of emergency rule.

Charles Prince resigned on Sunday as chairman and chief executive of Citigroup Inc, as the bank said it may write off $11 billion of subprime mortgage losses, on top of a $6.5 billion write-down last quarter. Robert Rubin, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary who had chaired Citigroup's executive committee, was named chairman, while Sir Win Bischoff, who runs Citigroup's European operations, was named acting chief executive.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing , the world's most highly valued exchange with a staggering $36 billion capitalization, is still an attractive investment, given its strategic value will rise as its ties with mainland China inevitably deepen.

U.S. film and television writers went on strike on Monday, after last-minute talks aimed at averting the Writers Guild of America's first strike in almost two decades collapsed.

Oil prices fell over a dollar on Monday, dragged down by fears of an escalating fallout in top energy consumer the United States from the subprime crisis and by easing tensions in the Middle East.

China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) and U.S. private equity firms offered up to A$3 billion ($2.75 billion) on Monday for Australia's Nufarm Ltd, a deal that would create the world's largest generic farm chemicals firm.

A former Samsung Group legal executive went on live television on Monday to accuse South Korea's biggest conglomerate of operating huge slush funds to bribe prosecutors and officials.

Kraft Foods Inc is close to agreeing to a deal to sell its Post cereals business to store-brand food maker, Ralcorp Holdings Inc, for about $2.8 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

A Qatari fund has dropped plans for a 10.6 billion-pound ($22.1 billion) bid for British retailer J Sainsbury, blaming worsening credit markets and the cost of winning support from the firm's pension trustees.

Shares in PetroChina more than doubled in their market debut on Monday after it raised $9 billion in the world's biggest IPO this year, surging past analysts' expectations as crude prices neared $100.

The dollar fell to one-week lows versus the yen on Monday, weighed down by fears of major losses at financial firms from credit market turmoil, while the Japanese currency benefited from hawkish policymaker comments.

Futures on benchmark U.S. stock market indexes fell before Wall Street's opening on Monday, with the focus on Citigroup after news of CEO Charles Prince's resignation. The largest U.S. bank said it may write off $11 billion of subprime mortgage losses on top of a $6.5 billion write-down last quarter.

World stocks fell and safe-haven bonds surged on Monday after fears of major losses in Citigroup rekindled concerns about the health of financial firms hit by the credit market turmoil.

Charles Prince resigned on Sunday as chairman and chief executive of Citigroup Inc, as the bank said it may write off $11 billion of subprime mortgage losses, on top of a $6.5 billion write-down last quarter.

Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe overcame a swarm of bees to take top spot at the weekend North American movie box office with American Gangster, a true-life crime saga that set a number of records.

A senior executive at Yahoo Inc has apologized for failing to give U.S. lawmakers additional information about the Internet company's alleged role in the imprisonment of a Chinese dissident.

The October 28 launch of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock struck the first chord in a highly anticipated battle of the bands between music-based videogames that will only get louder when rival Rock Band arrives November 20.

A souped-up Chevy Tahoe sports utility vehicle with a mind of its own was declared the winner of a robot car race on Sunday after it traveled without help from humans for six hours and 60 miles

Eli Lilly and Co's investigational anti-clotting drug was better able to prevent heart attacks than the standard treatment Plavix, but the drug led to excess bleeding, a study released on Sunday found, a shortcoming that could curb its usefulness.