IBT Staff Reporter

Gold regained strength on Monday after jewelers resurfaced at lower levels, while strong equities lifted platinum group metals despite a lack of buying interest from automakers. Asian stocks gained while the dollar hit a three-month low against a basket of currencies due to concerns the U.S. economy's recovery was losing momentum following the release of poor economic growth data.

Oil rose toward 12-week highs above $79 on Monday, driven by investor appetite for commodities and energy risk, with macroeconomic indicators in top consumers the United States and China showing slower but sustained growth.

The dollar hovered near a three-month low against a basket of currencies on Monday and was seen stuck in a downtrend due to concerns that the U.S. economy's recovery was losing momentum. The dollar has been hobbled by worries over the U.S. economy after a series of U.S. economic data in the past month undershot market expectations, and its slide has been exacerbated by some bearish signals on technical charts.

More trouble has come to Zimbabwe's Mugabe family with first lady Grace Mugabe figuring as one of the biggest beneficiaries from the diamonds from the controversial Chiadzwa fields after it emerged she is a shareholder in Mbada Diamonds.

BNP Paribas , France's biggest listed bank, posted higher-than-expected second-quarter net profit thanks to lower loan provisions and strong retail banking, despite volatile financial market conditions.

AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless are planning a partnership to displace credit and debit cards by letting consumers pay with the contactless wave of a smartphone, Bloomberg News reported, citing three people with direct knowledge of the plan.

UBS AG said on Sunday it plans to hire executives from Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Bank of America Corp to build its mortgages and lending business in the U.S.

UBS AG said on Sunday it plans to hire executives from Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Bank of America Corp to build its mortgages and lending business in the U.S.

UBS AG said on Sunday it plans to hire executives from Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Bank of America Corp to build its mortgages and lending business in the U.S.

The Australian Dollar has opened up firmly above 0.9000 this morning after the release of two major announcements on the weekend: US GDP Q2 figures and China PMI (purchasing manger's index) for the month of July.

Greenback weakness across the board has helped put the Australian Dollar back over US90 cents during offshore trade on Friday and we open in Sydney this morning at 0.9050.

Some BP gas station owners in the United States want to drop the BP name and return to the Amoco brand to recover business hit by public anger over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

The National Prescribing Service (NPS), Australia's medicine review body, has found that pain relief pills containing a mix of paracetamol and the weak opioid codeine are still preferred by Australians than plain paracetamol despite its side effects and higher price.

A team of American scientists are close to developing a vaccine that can cure stress to prevent it from causing illnesses such as diabetes and heart attack. Robert Sapolsky, professor of neuroscience at Stanford University and leader of the research team, alled the potential vaccine Sapolsky Shot which he said can alter brain chemistry to create “focused calm.” In his research on the damage cause...

U.S. stocks are unlikely to break above a key technical level this week unless monthly jobs data and consumer company results paint a more promising picture of the recovery.

Employment, it turns out, may not be such a laggard after all.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about one per cent of Australian population. Patients with the condition usually have to live with progressive joint destruction, disability, deformity and a reduced life span, even with treatments.

Scientists at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne have furthered the understanding of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and its role in tumor development.

According to research published in the Medical Journal of Australia, Australian workers are significantly affected by their colleagues' alcohol drinking, at a considerable cost.

Based on the research led by Paul Mitchell and his colleagues at the University of Sydney, higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and the fish that carry them may cut down the risk of developing age-associated hearing loss.

A study reveals doctors who have yet to take a holiday in the previous year and are working around the clock are far more likely to succumb to anxiety and depression - both of which can compromise judgments in the treatment of their patients.

More than a million BlackBerry users may have key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut off after authorities stepped up demands on smartphone maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent over the device.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott is not keen on a universal dental health plan for now but he promised Sunday free dental and medical care to families of defence personnel.

More than a million BlackBerry users may have key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut off after authorities stepped up demands on smartphone maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent over the device.

U.S. stocks are unlikely to break above a key technical level this week unless monthly jobs data and consumer company results paint a more promising picture of the recovery.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has announced that a coalition government will spend $335 million to make available 3,000 more nursing home beds, but nurses and doctors warned this will cause a healthcare crisis.

Bertelsmann's Random House, the world's biggest book publisher, expects electronic books to contribute more than 10 percent of its U.S. revenue next year, its head was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Over a million BlackBerry users face being cut off from key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE after authorities stepped up demands on maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent on the smartphone.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion was hit with its first major ban on Sunday after the United Arab Emirates, citing security risks, said BlackBerry services would be barred in October.