IBT Staff Reporter

A former policeman who accused senior officers of corruption in a series of video blogs will himself face prosecution for abuse of office, Russian investigators said on Monday.

The former supermodel, Tyra Banks, is ending her talk show after five seasons according to reports from PEOPLE.

About 300 survivors of a deadly outbreak of SARS in China in 2003 are now suffering from serious after-effects, possibly due to aggressive hormone treatment to save their lives, the Beijing News said on Friday.

U.S. retailers performed better during the key holiday shopping season this year after a historically dismal 2008, performing in line with dampened expectations, according to data released on Monday.

H1N1 swine flu can kill children at a much higher rate than seasonal flu, and the elevated risk for pregnant women extends as long as two weeks after they give birth, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Healthcare companies are lining up to go public, and they could get a warmer reception in 2010 as investors' risk appetite increases, and new legislation potentially leads to more profit for the sector.

An Oklahoma company said it was voluntarily recalling 248,000 lbs (112,000 kg) of beef products in six states following an outbreak of illnesses involving E. coli bacteria.

The White House sought to downplay differences on Sunday between the two versions of healthcare legislation passed in Congress as Democrats prepared to meld them into one, while a top Republican saw great unrest and perhaps more party-switchers among Democrats.

Greek dry bulk carrier Diana Shipping Inc (DSX.N) said it agreed to buy a Panamax dry bulk carrier for $35.1 million from a third party, as part of its two-year investment plan.

China Minmetals Corporation has agreed to take a 51 percent stake in Hunan Nonferrous Metals Holding Group, making the state-owned ferrous and nonferrous metals trading house the largest producer of zinc and antimony in the country.

Vical Inc (VICL.O) said it received positive review from an independent board on the late-stage study of its experimental cancer treatment, sending its share up as much as 32 percent.

Airlines shares were broadly lower on Monday after a Nigerian man was charged with trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day.

Wall Street edged higher on Monday as retailers' shares rose on data pointing to an improved performance for the key holiday shopping season while rising commodity prices boosted the natural resource sector.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday urged banks to reduce the gap between their lending charges and official interest rates, as officials hope cheaper loans to the real economy may boost recovery from recession.

Egypt's Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CA) (ORTEq.L) said on Monday its Algerian unit had paid about $120 million against back taxes Algeria says it owes, but that it had filed an appeal and hoped to recover the amount.

Egypt's Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CA) (ORTEq.L) said on Monday it had suspended talks on the sale of its internet subsdiary LINKdotNet until it resolves a dispute with France Telecom FTA.PA.

Switzerland's competition watchdog will examine closely the planned merger between France Telecom's Orange and Danish-owned Sunrise to ensure the grouping does not dominate the Swiss mobile market.

U.S. retailers posted a better performance during the 2009 holiday shopping season, with sales as tracked by MasterCard Advisors unit SpendingPulse up 3.6 percent.

U.S. retailers posted a better performance during the 2009 holiday shopping season, with sales as tracked by MasterCard Advisors unit SpendingPulse up 3.6 percent.

Compugen Ltd announced the discovery and experimental validation of a new drug target for the treatment of a type of cancer, sending its shares up as much as 41 percent in pre-market trade.

Tower Bancorp Inc (TOBC.O) agreed to buy First Chester County Corp (FCEC.O) for about $65 million, or $10.22 per share, in an all-stock deal to expand into southeastern Pennsylvania, the companies said.

Amazon.com Inc shares rose on Monday after it posted strong growth in holiday season orders and said its customers bought more e-books than physical books for the first time ever on Christmas Day, thanks to its hot-selling Kindle electronic book reader.

Stocks rose modestly on Monday as rising commodity prices boosted resource companies, while retailers gained after data pointed to a better performance for the key holiday shopping season.

Oil rose to above $79 a barrel on Monday, the highest in more than a month, as colder weather across the United States and signs of economic recovery helped boost the fuel demand outlook.

Senior bondholders who drafted the reorganization plan for bankrupt Six Flags should reveal their investments to determine if they fairly represented themselves to the theme park company, according to a court filing by creditors.

In early December, Simon Property Group Inc, the largest U.S. real estate investment trust and mall owner, obtained a slightly larger revolving credit facility to replace an existing one.

China Eastern Airlines said on Monday it had agreed to buy 16 Airbus A330 planes, giving a boost to the European planemaker as companies compete to gain a foothold in the fast-growing market.

The Chinese government is highly concerned by fast-rising property prices in some cities and will work to combat speculation, Premier Wen Jiabao said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

German drugs-to-chemical hybrid Merck KGaA has mulled acquisitions in both the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and has sufficient funds for big targets, its chief executive told a German newspaper.