UNITED STATES

Housing looks up, Obama's China clean energy push, Trading under pressure

The Princeton Review released on Monday the latest list of U.S. top party schools 2009 based on a survey of 122,000 students:

Senior U.S. housing officials and leading mortgage companies on Tuesday will make a fresh commitment to help troubled borrowers keep their homes and will promise to expand foreclosure-prevention aid, sources familiar with the plans said.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has stepped down and handed over the governor's office to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell on Sunday afternoon at a picnic in Fairbanks Park. About her future plans, there are a few things are known as followings:

Economic woes are taking a toll on marriages and relationships around the globe but the love lives of Americans seem to be most stressed by the recession, according to an international poll.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed insider trading charges on Monday against a manager at Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co (AORC) who made more than $450,000 profit from suspicious trades before a takeover of Nova Chemicals Corp.

Sales of new single-family homes in the United States rose more than expected in June, while the inventory of homes for sale fell to a more than 11-year low, government data showed on Monday.

U.S. regulators have begun investigating possible manufacturing violations by Mylan Inc , the world's third-biggest generic drugmaker.

With friends like these, President Barack Obama may not need enemies.

Stocks rose slightly on Monday in a late rally as investors rotated into financial shares, which had lagged in the recent two-week run-up.

President Barack Obama held the first day of talks with a Chinese delegation in Washington D.C. to address economic issues including energy related topics. During remarks on Monday, Obama said China and the United States have an interest in creating clean and secure energy sources, according to the Associated Press. He added that neither country profits from a dependence on foreign oil. He also said neither any will be able to fight climate change unless they work together.

Congress will consider steps to curb speculation in the $39 trillion credit default swaps market and could prohibit investors from speculating on a borrower's credit quality, according to a U.S. House of Representatives Committee document obtained by Reuters.

Aphrodite and the skeletal remains of her love Temples were painted in neon and hung prominently on the broad beige wall across the lounge.

Stocks rose slightly on Monday in a late rally as investors rotated into financial shares, which had lagged in the recent two-week rally.

A former AXA Advisors LLC broker was permanently barred from the U.S. securities industry for running a more than $600,000 Ponzi scheme whose victims included members of his own church, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said.

Starbucks Corp will make discretionary matching contributions to 401 retirement plans for its 2009 plan year but employees will face higher health-care costs, Chief Executive Howard Schultz said in a memo to employees on Monday.

EBay Inc will slash fees by 20 percent for its top-rated sellers and push their listings higher up in the search queue, part of steps to try to rev up its long-stagnant Marketplaces arm.

Seeking to reduce market manipulation, U.S. securities regulators today made permanent a temporary rule to reduce the potential for abusive “naked short selling.”

Stocks edged lower on Monday as corporate results from companies, including Verizon and Honeywell International , failed to entice investors following two weeks of gains that lifted all major indexes about 11 percent.

Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all U.S. medical spending or an estimated $147 billion a year, researchers said on Monday.

Troubled insurer American International Group Inc rebranded its property-casualty business under the name Chartis on Monday, and took a step toward selling at least part of the business.