UNITED STATES

The U.S. futures regulator approved on Monday a rule that puts tighter limits on how brokerage firms can use customer funds, a measure that the now-bankrupt MF Global had encouraged the agency to delay.

U.S. non-manufacturing sector expanded for the 24th consecutive month in November, but at a slightly slower rate, according to a closely watched index released Thursday.

He also suggested Kabul would need financial and other types of support for at least a decade beyond the withdrawal of foreign troops.

Two elderly women claim TSA agents strip searched them at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport last week.

In a research note, banking industry analyst Matthew Burnell reduced fourth-quarter earnings estimates for JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). Burnell reduced the earning estimates for JPMorgan and Citi by about 4 percent, but sounded a much more pessimistic note on Goldman and Morgan Stanley.

The economy showed signs it was decelerating, with an index of service activity pointing to slower growth in November while new orders for factory goods declined in October for the second straight month.

Syria has responded positively to an Arab League request that it allow observers into the country as part of a peace plan to end an eight-month-long uprising, but on the condition that the League drop sanctions and agree to amendments that league officials have previously rejected, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

Stocks rallied more than one percent on Monday, building on the previous week's gains, as optimism grew an agreement between French and German leaders would break new ground to resolve the Eurozone debt crisis.

The mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., bin Laden managed to hide out for almost a decade despite the world's most aggressive global manhunt and a $25 million reward for information leading to his capture or killing. On May 1, U.S. President Barack Obama decided to send a small U.S. force into a compound where Obama was believed to be hiding in Pakistan. Osama bin Laden was killed in the raid, and after DNA confirmation was buried at sea. Obama announced bin Laden's killing i...

You can't blame investors for feeling a bit hesitant regarding deploying new money in the U.S. stock market these days. Lingering concern about Italy's finances, along with below-trend U.S. GDP growth has created an uncertain U.S./Europe economic outlook. Where's the Dow likely to head in the next six months?

Once again, major U.S. airlines are attempting to raise fares by up to $10 on domestic flights.

Coca-Cola Co. defended on Friday the safety of its yogurt drinks sold in northern China, denying there was any link to the death of a child or the illness of three other people who had consumed the drinks, but said it removed the product from shelves in a precautionary move.

The futures regulator will vote on Monday on a rule that would put tighter limits on how brokerage firms can use customer funds, a measure now-bankrupt MF Global had encouraged the agency to delay.

Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakim has been arrested for driving with twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system. This is not the first time Miss Michigan has attracted controversy, or that a contestant has been the subject of scandal. Get all the details on past controversies, and see photos of Fakih's risque past before the DUI.

India sees no impediments to importing Iranian oil despite a new wave of sanctions imposed by the West, Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said on Monday.

MetLife expects operating earnings to rise as much as 7 percent in 2012, the largest life insurer in the United States said on Monday, though its forecasts for the fourth quarter and full-year 2011 were below expectations.

Stock indexes pointed to gains of about 1 percent at the open on Monday, building on the previous week's gains, as optimism grew that an upcoming European Union summit would break new ground to resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

Stock indexes pointed to gains of about 1 percent at the open on Monday, building on the previous week's gains, as optimism grew that an upcoming European Union summit would break new ground to resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

The bankruptcy estate of Lehman Brothers Holdings is close to naming a new board of directors to help finish winding down the collapsed financial firm, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition to Sweden, won the right on Monday to ask Britain's Supreme Court to hear his case, prolonging his stay in Britain.

Results from the Lundberg survey, based on about 2,500 stations throughout America, suggest that the national average prices-per-gallon of regular gas has fallen almost nine cents in the past two weeks and almost 18 cents a gallon over the past six weeks. The average price per gallon of gas on Oct. 21 was roughly $3.47, and it's fallen nine cents on average since then.