IBT Staff Reporter

Following are highlights of a news conference by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel following bilateral talks in Paris to hone joint proposals for more central control of euro zone budgets.

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.

E-Commerce sales on Cyber Monday, as well as the Tuesday and Wednesday afterward topped $1 billion each day, according to comScore.

Comcast Corp , the largest U.S. cable operator, will start selling Verizon Wireless products in four markets early next year, its top cable executive said on Monday.

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.

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.

Kraft Foods Inc named its current chief executive, Irene Rosenfeld, to lead its snacks business and Anthony Vernon to lead its North American grocery business, when the giant packaged food company splits in two.

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.

New orders for factory goods fell in October for the second straight month, suggesting a possible softening in the manufacturing sector, which has supported the economic recovery.

New orders for factory goods fell in October for the second straight month, suggesting a possible softening in the manufacturing sector, which has supported the economic recovery.

France and Germany have agreed on a series of reforms to address the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis that will be presented to EU President Herman Van Rompuy on Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday.

Italy would have collapsed without the government's tough new austerity package, Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Monday, saying his country ran the risk of a Greek-style emergency.

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.

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.

Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion's Indonesia CEO will be charged with negligence after a sale last month of its smart phones turned into a stampede, police said on Monday.

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.

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> will announce an earnings forecast on Friday for the financial year to March 2012, as it steadily restores production disrupted by Thai flooding that forced it to withdraw its outlook a month earlier.

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.

Germany's SAP announced a $3.4 billion cash deal to buy U.S. Web-based software company SuccessFactors, joining the scramble among technology firms to offer cloud-computing services to businesses.

At least four brokerages slashed their price targets on Research in Motion's U.S.-listed stock after the BlackBerry maker warned of lower profit amid falling sales and an inventory pile up of its PlayBook tablet.

An investigative panel has found Japan's disgraced Olympus Corp hid up to $1.67 billion in losses from its investors, but is likely to say there is no evidence of involvement by organized crime in the cover-up, a source said Monday.

Mobile phone applications that allow online shopping on the move could give battered British retailers something to cheer about in what is otherwise set to be one of the toughest Christmas trading periods for years.

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.

India may face its worst financial crisis in decades if it fails to stem a slide in the rupee, leaving the central bank with a difficult choice over how to make best use of its limited reserves to maintain the confidence of foreign investors.

Shares in Samsung Electronics Co Ltd rose more than 2 percent on Monday after Apple Inc's bid to halt U.S. sales of its Galaxy line of products was rejected, easing concern of slowing growth in its telecom business, which generates revenue of $13 billion per quarter.

Stock index futures rose on Monday, building on the previous week's strong gains, as optimism grew that the upcoming European Union summit would break new ground to resolve the euro zone debt crisis.