BUSINESS

Asian shares and the euro gained on Monday after Greece came a step closer to securing a much-needed bailout fund and avoiding a messy default, though most of the recent optimism appeared to have been already priced in.

China has no intention of buying up or controlling a debt-ridden Europe that it still has confidence in, and any help Beijing may offer will be for purely economic reasons, a top state-run newspaper said on Monday ahead of a China-EU summit.

A court has ordered Mexico's competition watchdog to investigate claims of collusion between businesses controlled by telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim and Spain's Telefonica, according to a court document seen by Reuters on Sunday.

Three years after China launched its most ambitious experiment yet to give its currency more global clout, some market watchers are writing its epitaph, saying Beijing is not loosening its grip on the yuan fast enough to attract sustained interest.

Prudential Financial Inc , the No.2 U.S. life insurer, has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to advise on its possible bid for ING Groep NV's Asian insurance operations, South Korean media reported, in what is potentially Asia's second-biggest insurance sale ever.

China will start to fine-tune its economic policies in the first quarter, Premier Wen Jiabao said in remarks published by state media Monday, the most explicit indication yet of further monetary policy easing.

When they saw the house on El Dorado Drive in this Los Angeles suburb being painted a startling orange and green and giant billboards hung on the outside, Scott and Beth Hostetler's neighbors were initially angry and confused. Some even considered calling the police.

Despite a mediocre earnings season and signs of an overbought market, Wall Street bulls are likely to remain in control this week.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States rose nearly 12 cents in the past three weeks to about $3.51, due in part to higher prices for North Sea crude oil, according to the nationwide Lundberg Survey.

Tom Storrs, who set a small North Carolina bank on the path to becoming one of the largest U.S. financial institutions, died Friday at age 93.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in several nations this weekend demanding political justice, economic opportunity, and a change to the status quo. Demonstrators -- who powered the Arab Spring, the worldwide Occupy protests during the summer, and the anti-austerity marches of the European autumn -- are back on the streets in a winter of discontent.

Greek lawmakers looked set to endorse a new austerity deal on Sunday to secure an EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, defying public rage and protesters who fought pitched battles with riot police outside parliament.

Greek promises on austerity measures are no longer good enough because so many vows have been broken and the country that has been a bottomless pit has to dramatically change its ways, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

On Saturday, day three of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, Rafael Cennamo presented his Fall 2012 collection of elegant evening wear, catering to a strong woman who is not just glamorous but also aggressive, according to the designer, with sharp metallics, midnight blues and hues of black and gray.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an inquiry into how the private equity industry values its investments, how those investments are marketed, and other practices, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The chief negotiator for private creditors over a Greek debt swap deal, Charles Dallara, urged lawmakers to approve the country's IMF/EU bailout deal in parliament on Sunday, saying the deadlines allowed no room for slippage.

Jill Stuart, a designer known for utilizing flirty prints and making them sexy, presented her Fall 2012 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York on Saturday, displaying girly whimsical pieces in hues of purple, plum, indigo, navy, like a pansy flower and of course, winter white and black. View the slideshow to see photos of Jill Stuart's Fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

Charlotte Ronson showed her Fall 2012 Collection on Friday at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, a refined collection in opulent deep plum, burnt orange, maroon, forest crème and beiges from camel to ivory which she called a modern wardrobe for a real girl. View the slideshow to see photos of Charlotte Ronson's sophisticated Fall 2012 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

Hungary can realistically start formal talks with the European Union and the IMF about a vital funding deal in early March and an agreement can be reached by the middle of the second quarter, a ruling Fidesz party lawmaker said on Saturday.

Built at a cost of £250,000, the giant otter centre is first of its kind in Europe where people can see the otters diving for food, through large underwater viewing windows.

Some California farmers plan to stop selling their walnuts to Diamond Foods Inc in the wake of an accounting scandal over grower payments that has claimed the jobs of the snack company's chief executive and chief financial officer.

The Greek cabinet approved late on Friday a draft law setting out the tough reform and austerity program it needs to take as the price of a new EU/IMF bailout.

It isn't often you see the words love, romance, and Federal Reserve in the same sentence.

President Barack Obama's compromise on free birth control coverage left health insurers stuck with the bill, sparking worries over the precedent set by the new policy.

Security researchers said they found a vulnerability in the Google Inc mobile payments platform which is currently available in phones sold by Sprint Nextel Corp.

Wegelin & Co, the oldest Swiss private bank, was declared a fugitive after failing to show up in a U.S. court to answer a criminal charge that it conspired to help wealthy Americans evade taxes.

For her Fall 2012 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York on Friday, Rebecca Minkoff captured the essence of a fearless woman determined to celebrate independence in the moment. Using bold jewel tones paired with primary colors, the 28-piece collection had origami and kaleidoscope prints paired with brocade, tweed and silk. View the slideshow to see photos of Rebecca Minkoff's Fall 2012 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

The shortfall in funds available to pay back customers of MF Global's collapsed brokerage is at least $1.6 billion and could be more, the trustee liquidating the brokerage said on Friday.

When Brandon Sun designed his Fall 2012 Collection for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, he looked to the Silent Assassins based on Kung-Fu epic films he grew up watching, because silently is the best way to assassinate someone, according to the designer. Sun juxtaposed elegance with violence the same way these elements are placed side-by-side in Kung-Fu films. The collection was comprised of fur by SAGA Furs, gauze maxi dresses and wide-leg gabardine trousers. Coiling moha...