Are banks finally getting to the point where, instead of writing down assets, they can add to profits by writing them back up?

Japanese industrial output rose 5.9% in May, the third consecutive monthly climb, with production of cars especially strong.

North Korea's economy expanded in 2008, after contracting for two years, according to South Korea's central bank.

The government is shutting down every legal casino and slot-machine parlor in the country on Wednesday, throwing hundreds of thousands of people out of work.

Daiwa Securities sees its shares fall 12% after announcing plans to raise $2.5bn in a public share offering.

Vodafone is considering buying T-Mobile UK in a move that would make it the biggest mobile phone operator in the UK, the FT says.

Reuters - The dollar recovered a little ground on Monday after falling late last week on a renewed call by China for a super-sovereign reserve currency, and stocks traded just below the top of recent ranges.

Asian markets drifted lower Monday as cautious investors awaited key U.S. and Japanese data later this week for clues on the global economic outlook.

President Obama on Sunday spoke out against a provision in the energy bill that would impose trade penalties on countries that do not accept global-warming pollution limits.

What happens to the renewable energy industry when the stimulus funding runs out, as it is scheduled to do for the industry?s projects in the next year or two?

Rail and bus operator National Express rejects a takeover approach from its larger rival FirstGroup.

Workers vote to accept a deal which brings an end to the Lindsey oil refinery jobs dispute that spread to other sites.

The number of mortgages approved for house buying rose again in May, according to the Bank of England.

Reuters - Dow Jones futures dipped 0.1 percent, S&P 500 futures were down 0.01 percent while Nasdaq futures traded 0.02 percent higher on Monday morning at 4:45 a.m. EDT, pointing to a flat opening for Wall Street's main equity indexes.

Reuters - Consulting firms Towers Perrin Forster & Crosby and Watson Wyatt Worldwide said on Sunday they plan to merge in an all-stock deal valued at about $3.5 billion, as they hope to cut costs amid an economic slump that has caused clients to curb discretionary spending.

Markets rose as investor sentiment was buoyed by upbeat European economic data, which stoked hopes that the worst of the recession has passed.

Oil prices rise above $69 a barrel as unrest in Nigeria raised concerns about supply

Treasury minister Stephen Timms says many banks continue 'to be involved in tax avoidance' as he unveils new tax rules.

Online fashion retailer Asos reports a 93% rise in annual profits, after a four-fold increase in its international sales.

US consumer confidence rose in June to its highest since February 2008, a survey shows, suggesting the recession is easing.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures were flat to higher on Monday as investors looked to new data later in the holiday-shortened week for clues over the direction of the recession-hit economy.

Reuters - Cash-rich German carmaker Volkswagen AG and its ailing majority owner Porsche SE (PSHG_p.DE) must decide soon whether to integrate or not, VW's home state of Lower Saxony said on Monday.

Bernard L. Madoff, the author of a vast Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of investors, appeared in a courtroom in downtown Manhattan for sentencing.

Porsche has rejected an offer by Volkswagen to take a 49 percent stake in the sports car maker, calling the offer ?not a viable option.?

A holiday-shortened week began on a positive note, as investors geared up for key data, including the government?s employment report, later in the week.

Agents trying to persuade mortgage companies to lower payments for homeowners are becoming frustrated.

Air New Zealand is baring all, literally. A commercial and a new in-flight safety video feature airline employees wearing only body paint.

What happens to the renewable energy industry when the stimulus funding runs out, as it is scheduled to do for the industry?s projects in the next year or two?

Reuters - U.S. stocks opened slightly higher on Monday as signs of life in the global economy kept U.S. investors optimistic over the prospects of a recovery, and rising oil prices boosted energy shares.

Reuters - State Street Corp said it may face civil charges by U.S. securities regulators related to its exposing investors to losses on subprime mortgages.

Reuters - Unprecedented attempts to stimulate economic growth may fail to bring a sustained recovery, yet withdrawing them too late could be even more risky, leading central bankers said on Monday.

A federal judge sentenced Bernard L. Madoff to 150 years in prison on Monday for operating a huge Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands of people, calling his crimes ?extraordinarily evil.?

The sports car maker said VW?s proposed purchase of a 49 percent stake was ?unfeasible? because it would create a huge financial penalty.

Because of the global recession, the International Energy Agency said it did not expect oil demand to reach 2008 levels until 2012.

Bernard Madoff has been given a jail sentence of 150 years for a massive fraud that robbed investors of $65bn (£40bn).

Russian gas giant Gazprom signs a deal allowing it to import natural gas from Azerbaijan and then pipe it to Europe.

The OECD says the UK's economic recovery will be slow, and urges curbs on public borrowing.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Monday as higher oil prices boosted energy shares, and signs of life in the global economy and overseas markets renewed investor optimism on the prospects of a recovery.

Reuters - Enterprise Products Partners LP said on Monday that Teppco Partners LP had accepted its sweetened $3.3 billion bid in a deal that would form the largest U.S. publicly traded energy partnership.

Reuters - Shares of consulting company Watson Wyatt Worldwide tumbled 8 percent on Monday as analysts cited concerns about its $3.5 billion merger with Towers Perrin Forster & Crosby.

Apple said that Steven P. Jobs, its co-founder and chief executive, had returned to work following a five-month medical leave during which he had a liver transplant.

The Supreme Court cleared state attorneys to investigate national banks for lending discrimination and other crimes, but they must seek a court order first.

Reuters - Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs is back at work following a near 6-month medical leave, though he will work at least initially from home for a few days a week, the company said on Monday.

State Street, an asset management and servicing company, said it might face civil charges from regulators for exposing investors to losses on subprime mortgages.

China is showing increasing interest in oil fields that had seemed until very recently to be firmly in the American sphere of influence for natural resources.

With online advertising down, Internet companies like Microsoft and Google find they need big ad agencies to sell new online formats to marketers.

Mobile phone companies have struck a deal with the European Commission that could bring a 'one size fits all' phone charger into production in the near future.

A £1bn cost over-run is threatening a project to build the UK's biggest aircraft carriers, the BBC has learnt.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Monday as higher oil prices lifted shares of energy companies and fund managers snapped up recent winners to embellish their portfolios a day before the close of the second quarter.

Reuters - U.S. government attorneys told a Texas judge on Monday that accused swindler Allen Stanford should stay in jail pending trial because he would likely flee the country rather than face a potential life prison sentence.

A federal judge sentenced Bernard L. Madoff to 150 years in prison for running a huge Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands of investors, calling his crimes ?extraordinarily evil.?

General Motors said it was pulling out of its joint venture with Toyota, a longstanding partnership that exposed G.M. to more efficient Japanese manufacturing techniques.

The Supreme Court declined to block a new digital video recording system that could make it easier for viewers to bypass commercials.

Apple boss Steve Jobs is back at work after six months of medical leave, although he will work from home for part of the week.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Monday as higher oil prices lifted shares of energy companies and fund managers snapped up this quarter's winners to burnish their portfolios.

Reuters - Allen Stanford will spend Monday night in jail after U.S. prosecutors told a federal judge that the accused swindler would likely flee the country rather than face life in prison if released on bail.

AP - As consumers get ready to celebrate July Fourth, many merchants already have dismissed summer as a washout.

The sports car maker said VW?s proposed purchase of a 49 percent stake was ?unfeasible? because it would create a huge financial penalty.

The in-flight safety instructional video and a companion ad series show employees of Air New Zealand unclothed, concealed only by body-paint and strategically placed props.

Because of the global recession, the International Energy Agency said it did not expect oil demand to reach 2008 levels until 2012.

With online advertising down, Internet companies like Microsoft and Google find they need big ad agencies to sell new online formats to marketers.

Small firms indicate that the recession may be easing

Energy firms are being told by a regulator to improve the way they deal with complaints from customers.

AP - Risky bank policies that contributed to the financial crisis were as common in neighborhood branches as they were on Wall Street, according to a labor-backed coalition that will propose new reforms Tuesday.

The swarms gathered early outside a federal courthouse to catch a glimpse of the man who defined an era of unprecedented greed and fraud on Wall Street.

The Supreme Court cleared state attorneys to investigate national banks for lending discrimination and other crimes, but they must seek a court order first.

Hernán E. Arbizu, a private banker to wealthy clients, says he shifted money to make good on unrealistic investment promises.

Young people in Japan, who are unemployed at nearly double the overall rate, have started taking to the streets in anger, in protests rarely seen in the country.

Additional safety equipment that could help more passengers survive certain crashes will be required on all new aircraft starting Oct. 27.

Levi?s hopes that ?Go forth? will resonate with young America the way a campaign like ?501 blues? appealed to an earlier generation.

No country lived more enthusiastically in the credit bubble, and none paid a higher price when it burst. Other countries would do well to pay attention.

The new rules will cut the amount of electricity used by affected lamps by 15 to 25 percent and save up to $4 billion a year for consumers, the White House said.

China is showing increasing interest in oil fields that had seemed until very recently to be firmly in the American sphere of influence for natural resources.

The Supreme Court declined to block a new digital video recording system that could make it easier for viewers to bypass commercials.

A 20-year business traveler says experience has taught her that people are the most important element of any trip.

A bill recently introduced in Congress would standardize the size of carry-on bags and require the Transportation Security Administration to enforce the limits.

A documentary critical of Hillary Rodham Clinton may result in an overhaul of corporations? campaign spending.

The high court?s ruling for a group of white firefighters in New Haven seemed to ensure much more litigation over the explosive issue of employment discrimination.

The in-flight safety instructional video and a companion ad series show employees of Air New Zealand unclothed, concealed only by body-painted uniforms and strategically placed props.

Markets rose as higher oil prices lifted energy shares and speculation grew that the recession was easing.

A Supreme Court ruling for a group of white firefighters may bring more litigation over job discrimination.

Reuters - General Motors Corp is heading to bankruptcy court on Tuesday to seek approval to sell its assets to a 'New GM' in a plan to reinvigorate the automaker under U.S. government ownership.