Asian stocks rose on Monday, with Chinese shares hitting two-month highs as investors bought large cap stocks like banks.

Japanese retail sales jumped sharply in February as government stimulus measures lifted spending, figures show.

A 'radical' reform of the UK banking system is needed to prevent taxpayers from picking up the bill for future bail-outs, MPs say.

AP - Oil prices rose above $80 a barrel Monday in Asia as investors look to a key U.S. jobs report later this week for clues about the outlook for consumer spending.

Four employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, including an Australian citizen, were convicted by a Chinese court and sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison.

Four executives of Rio Tinto are found guilty of bribery and secrets theft by a Chinese court and handed lengthy jail terms.

The UK financial services sector is set to see faster growth in the next three months, according to a report.

AP - Lentils are a hot topic among gourmets these days, with recipes for them popping up in most major food magazines.

Greece announces a sale of government bonds designed to raise money to help pull the country out of its debt crisis.

The Unite union accuses BA of using the world's most expensive cabin crew, after drafting in pilots to replace striking staff.

So-called 'therapeutic' ring tones to help everyone from hay fever sufferers to the overweight are the latest craze sweeping Japan, the BBC's Roland Buerk reports.

Supporters may get the chance to buy a stake in their club under radical proposals expected to be in Labour's election manifesto.

Mortgage approvals fell in February marking a slow start to the year in the UK housing market, figures show.

Financial advisers are to be banned from receiving commission payments for selling investments policies from 2012.

AP - Greece has appointed five banks to handle a new seven-year bond issue that will come due on 20 April 2017.

AP - World markets rose and the euro strengthened Monday in the wake of the announcement of a eurozone aid plan for Greece, which the debt-ridden country followed up by planning a new bond issue.

Reuters - Greece mandated five banks on Monday for a new benchmark seven-year bond, its first test of the market after a European-IMF debt support mechanism was agreed last week.

AP - The energy exploration company probing for oil north of the disputed Falkland Islands said Monday that the reservoir it was trying to exploit was of low quality — an announcement that quickly led to a drop in the company's share price.

Desire Petroleum shares plunge after it says an oil well being drilled off the Falkland Islands may not be economically viable.

Swedish telecoms equipment group Ericsson announces deals with China Mobile and China Unicom worth a combined $1.8bn.

The small French town still holding out against euro

Mortgages that require a 10% deposit aimed at first-time buyers will be offered by a revamped Post Office.

A pensions group is calling for a new commission to be set up to review the state of the UK's retirement savings.

The government could face a public backlash over its plans to switch national radio stations over to digital, peers warn.

AP - Japan's retail sales jumped for the second straight month in February, offering a sign the country's economic recovery is broadening to households.

AP - Sinopec, Asia's biggest refiner by volume, said profit more than doubled in 2009 on lower crude oil costs and a revival in demand amid China's stimulus-fueled recovery.

Reuters - U.S. electrical goods retailer Best Buy will open its first British store in May, it said on Monday, as partner Carphone Warehouse completed its demerger from telecoms arm TalkTalk .

AP - Japanese automakers said their global production surged in February, as Toyota boosted output 83 percent from a year earlier despite an ongoing recall of several key models.

Four employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, including an Australian citizen, were sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison.

The 0.3 percent rise in consumer spending in February was considered a respectable showing, given the winter weather.

News that consumer spending rose for the fifth consecutive month fueled investor confidence about a global economic recovery.

The 7.7 billion common shares of Citigroup would be sold under a prearranged written trading plan.

The US government is preparing to sell its 27% stake in Citigroup, in what would be one of the largest share sales in history.

Shares in two Irish banks fall sharply, a day before the Republic of Ireland government is expected to say it will increase its holdings.

US consumer spending rose in February at its slowest pace since September last year, figures show.

AP - Stocks rose Monday after investors grow more comfortable about a global economic recovery.

AP - The United Auto Workers union is hoping to raise at least $1.3 billion for its retiree health care trust fund by selling all of its 362 million warrants for Ford Motor Co. stock.

U.S. News & World Report - The Obama administration has announced fresh changes to its housing initiative to address two key impediments to a real estate rescue: unemployment and negative equity--or owing more on a mortgage than your home is worth. The changes, which the Treasury Department unveiled Friday, offer temporary relief for borrowers who lose their jobs and provide additional incentives to lenders who reduce the loan balances of borrowers with negative equity.

AFP - Traffic in Egypt's Suez Canal on Monday returned to normal, a day after an oil tanker ran aground in the waterway, a canal official said.

The Unite union wants to raise a £700,000 via a compulsory levy on its branches to help support striking BA cabin crew.

AP - Britain's opposition Conservative Party pledged Monday to reverse the government's planned tax hike if it wins a looming national election, saving both workers and employers money by cutting government spending instead.

AFP - Greece raced to raise billions of euros on Monday with a seven-year bond issue on the back of a European Union financial lifeline to contain a debt crisis which has weakened the euro.

AP - Oil prices got a boost Monday from positive economic indicators and worries about terrorist bombings in Moscow.

AP - General Motors Co. says that it will be late in filing its 2009 annual report as it works through accounting issues related to its bankruptcy reorganization last year.

A Chinese court handed down prison sentences to four employees of the British-Australian mining giant.

Traders were also reassured by reports that Greece, facing imminent deadlines for paying back its widening debt, was planning a bond sale.

Robert W. Moffat Jr., a former I.B.M. senior executive, pleaded guilty on Monday to providing confidential information about Advanced Micro Devices and Lenovo to a hedge fund consultant accused of participating in a wide-ranging insider trading scheme.

The seven-year bond issue is the first borrowing test after the euro zone unveiled a rescue to help Athens cope with its acute debt crisis.

Greece raises 5bn euros from a bond issue as it continues to secure the funds needed to pull the country out of its debt crisis.

AP - Greece raised euro5 billion ($6.74 billion) Monday with a seven-year bond issue, in a crucial first borrowing test after the eurozone unveiled a rescue last week to help Athens cope with its acute debt crisis.

AP - China Valves Technology Inc. swung to a profit in its fourth quarter as sales grew and the company produced more in its expanded Kaifeng facility.

Reuters - Debt-stricken Greece won little respite from crippling borrowing costs when it returned to capital markets on Monday for the first time since euro zone leaders agreed to give it a last-resort financial safety net.

AP - Citigroup Inc.'s spinoff of its Primerica Inc. unit, a commission-based network of independent sales representatives selling life insurance and investment products, is one of four companies expected to go public this week as the market for initial public offerings appears positioned for a comeback.

Reuters - The BSE Sensex hit a 25-month high before closing 0.4 percent up on Monday, its fourth straight rise, as earnings optimism and firm global equities boosted sentiments. Financials led the gainers.

AP - The National Association of Realtors spent $5.6 million lobbying the federal government in the 2009 fourth quarter as it pressed for measures to aid the hobbled housing market, according to a recent disclosure form.

For the first time, someone outside the family has been given responsibility to run the banking dynasty.

A Chinese court handed down prison sentences to four employees of the British-Australian mining giant.

AP - A trust fund set up by the United Auto Workers union is hoping to raise at least $1.3 billion to help pay retiree health care costs by selling rights to an 11 percent ownership stake in Ford Motor Co.

Critics of smoking say the flavoring was used as a lure for young people while also being marketed to black smokers.

Amateurs photographers, happy to accept small checks for snapshots, have increasing opportunities but are underpricing professional photographers.

Traveling in uniform makes business trips a different experience for military recruiters than for the typical civilian.

Traders were also reassured by reports that Greece, facing imminent deadlines for paying back its widening debt, was planning a bond sale.

Cases involving Alstom, a French industrial giant, are part of a growing number of investigations into corporate bribery.

Reuters - Washington Mutual Inc , the biggest bank failure in history, may have a second life after bankruptcy.

AP - Mounting losses from commercial real estate loans will continue to be a problem for the U.S. and especially smaller banks, but it can be managed, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Monday.

AP - Oxford Industries Inc., an owner and licenser of clothing brands, swung to a profit in the fourth quarter as the company sold less but made more money.

The Motley Fool - The markets are jittery as both the Chinese and Indian central banks are tightening credit. China and India are Asia's most populous economies and as such affect the regional and global economies greatly. The latest move came from the reserve bank of India, which hiked a couple of short-term interest rates, as the rates are both below the level of reported inflation.

AP - The membership of the United Auto Workers fell sharply in 2009 as automakers and parts suppliers made deep cuts in their labor forces during one the most tumultuous years ever for the auto industry.

Even the network?s biggest evening stars were being pounded by competitors, especially those at Fox News.

In a ruling with potentially far-reaching implications for the patenting of human genes, a judge struck down a company?s patents on two genes linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Traders were also reassured by reports that Greece, facing imminent deadlines for paying back its widening debt, was planning a bond sale.

A Chinese court handed down prison sentences to four employees of the British-Australian mining giant.

Letting agents should be regulated to protect both tenants and landlords, the Property Ombudsman says.

AP - Billionaire energy tycoon Dan Duncan, who founded one of the largest energy services companies in the U.S., died at his Houston home Sunday, his company said. He was 77.

AP - Mortgage Insurance Companies of America spent $850,000 to lobby the federal government on housing and other issues in the fourth quarter, according to a disclosure report.

AP - Ford Motor Co. said Monday that a United Auto Workers-run trust fund will try to raise at least $1.3 billion selling warrants for Ford shares starting Tuesday.

Concerns are rising about a debt crisis for states as they take desperate measures to make their finances appear healthy.

After several disastrous months for home sales, the pace appears to be picking up again.

An association representing 300 large companies said a provision of the health overhaul would hurt profits.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has started an inquiry into repurchase agreements, which were used at Lehman to mask debt.

Robert W. Moffat Jr. pleaded guilty to providing confidential information to a hedge fund consultant accused of participating in a wide-ranging insider trading scheme.

To drum up enthusiasm for new TVs, manufacturers have turned to 3-D, despite the task of persuading consumers that it is not a fad.

News that Tiger Woods would return to golf at Augusta, Ga., led to a slight bump in resale prices for Masters tickets, brokers said.

Lehman, the investment bank liquidating in bankruptcy, is evaluating 65,000 claims totaling more than $819 billion.

Had Nuvigil been approved, it would have been the first prescription drug specifically designated for jet lag.

The issue of how much money banks need to keep on hand is bound to be on the regulatory front-burner in the near future.

AP - Federal regulators are opposing a proposed $1.4 billion tax refund for JPMorgan Chase & Co.

AP - A federal judge in Boston has sentenced a Florida man to seven years in prison for playing a key role in one of the largest theft of credit and debit card numbers in U.S. history.

Reuters - The Obama administration is expected to announce by Wednesday its updated plan for oil and natural gas drilling in U.S. waters, including whether to allow exploration for the first time along the U.S. East Coast.

Asian stock markets gained modestly early Tuesday after a report showed that U.S. consumers, buoyed by optimism about growth in the world?s largest economy, continued to spend last month.

Travel to Mexico, both leisure and business, has been severely affected by drug-war violence, and precautions should be taken to avoid known dangerous areas.

Steven Zimmerman is chief of operations for Room to Read, a nonprofit group providing educational opportunities to children in developing countries.

One Equity Partners, the private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase, is leading the potential buyout, for about $558 million.

The Treasury is set to sell its 27 percent stake in Citigroup about two years after rescuing it, and the exit should deliver a healthy profit for taxpayers.

AP - Australia's leader said Tuesday that secrecy surrounding China's trial of four Rio Tinto workers for commercial espionage leaves room for doubt about the convictions.

AP - Asian stock markets gained modestly early Tuesday after a report showing U.S. consumers continued to spend last month buoyed optimism about growth in the world's largest economy.