UNITED STATES

Continuing his tirade against the West, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the US and NATO can no longer dictate policy for the rest of the world and warned that the NATO policy in Afghanistan and other countries would make Western relations with Pakistan worse.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday, pointing to an equities rebound after the S&P's worst weekly performance so far this year, as investors looked ahead to data on February pending home sales.

The world's central banks should not have unfettered ability to purchase assets because that violates the traditional separation of monetary and fiscal policymaking and can allow governments to inflate away debts, a top Federal Reserve official said on Monday.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to a higher opening Monday ahead of pending home sales data and a speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

NEW DELHI/SINGAPORE - The Royal Bank of Scotland has halted payments to a Greek ship owner which transported Iranian oil for an Indian shipping company, in line with Western sanctions aimed at hindering Iranian crude exports, shipping sources told Reuters.

Wall Street's gains came after positive remarks on the U.S. labor market by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and upbeat economic data from Germany that offset a soft reading on the U.S. housing market.

Two US senators have called on the federal agencies to investigate whether employers are violating federal law by requesting Facebook passwords from interviewees. Senators Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, have asked the Department of Justice and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to commence investigations.

From an Apple fan's point of view, one could trust the Cupertino tech giant in terms of the wide range of products it offers to the customers. Parting with hundreds of dollars each year for laying hands on Apple gadgets does tell that story. But would you ever trust Apple with all your money? Would you trust Apple with your savings and consider banking with an iBank?

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev extended complete support to the UN-Arab League envoy in Syria, saying that Kofi Annan's resolution represented the last chance for preventing the violent insurgency from turning into a civil war. Medvedev's strong message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came close on the heels of US President Barack Obama announcing his plans to send non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition.

South Korea wrested one-upmanship from the belligerent North on Monday by issuing a stern warning that it might shoot down a rocket that Pyongyang is planning to launch next month.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.14 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.21 percent at 0813 GMT.

BATS Global Markets is sticking with a plan to move its Chi-X platform, Europe's largest share trading venue, to its own technology, after a software bug forced the exchange operator to take the embarrassing step of pulling its own listing last week.

U.S. lawnmower manufacturer Briggs & Stratton is used to worrying about turnover - just not the human kind.

The luxurious LA mansion where US President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline spent their honeymoon in 1953 is up for auction for $95 million.

From 1950s Balenciaga hat to Estee Lauder's turban, the Bard Graduate Center (BGC) in New York City is showcasing an exclusive millinery exhibition by master hat-maker Stephen Jones in collaboration with London's Victoria & Albert Museum.

Obama holds out prospect of cuts in US nuclear arsenal as he tries to rally world leaders against threat of nuclear terrorism.

Canada's economy will grow by 2.5 percent this quarter, analysts have said. The economy had expanded 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

In the wake of the uncommon cancellation of the initial public offering by Bats Global Markets Inc. on Friday, the company's chairman, CEO, and president apologized to customers and members of the trading community in a letter posted on its website on Sunday.

Early on the morning of March 16, Wong Tat joined a line of about 100 people waiting for the launch of the new iPad in a chilly rain outside an Apple store on the outskirts of San Francisco.

Disagreement emerged on Sunday over the re-listing of an electronic stock exchange that suffered a high-profile crash last week, a breakdown that forced it to unwind its initial public offering of shares.

Asian shares edged up on Monday, finding some support after losing ground last week on fears of the impact of an economic slowdown in China, and the euro held near a three-week high.