IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. aviation authorities have ordered emergency inspections of newer model Boeing Co. 737 jetliners in response to last week's explosion and fire that destroyed a China Airlines plane in Japan, officials said on Monday.

Taiwan's Acer announced on Monday that it has agreed to acquire U.S.-based Gateway for $710 million, zooming past China's Lenovo to become the world's third largest computer maker behind U.S. makers Hewlett-Packard and Dell.

Oil prices rose on Monday as refinery outages in the United States stoked supply concerns again as the end of the summer driving season neared.

Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said on Sunday the risks of a recession are greater now than at anytime since the September 11 attacks due to real estate and mortgage market troubles.

Citigroup Inc is combining two groups of traders focused on global credit markets, which have been in turmoil this month.

Restaurant company Dunkin' Brands Inc. said on Monday that all menu offerings in its Dunkin' Donuts restaurants will have zero grams of artery clogging trans fat by October 15 this year.

The world's biggest casino opens in Macau on Tuesday, the most ambitious throw of the dice yet in a $24 billion effort to build a Las Vegas-style neon alley in this once-sleazy Chinese gambling enclave.

U.S. stocks fell on Monday after data showed the number of unsold homes reached its highest level in more than 15 years in July, adding to concerns about the housing market and consumer spending. Bank shares fell on nagging credit worries after Goldman Sachs slashed its earnings forcast on Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley.

Investor confidence in the economy deteriorated in August to its lowest level in a year, as the growing housing turmoil compounded worries over high energy prices, a survey showed on Monday.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is hiring middle-management level executives to help evaluate the type of stores that it operates ahead of the arrival of British grocery Tesco to the United States.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged European Union nations on Monday to accept a greater share of defense spending to cope with escalating global threats.

The dollar rose against the euro, but fell against the yen on Monday, as investors attempted to minimize exposure to risky assets amid lingering fears of a global credit crisis.

A key backer of central bank independence won an important role in Japan's new cabinet on Monday, perhaps making it easier for the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates, analysts said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged China on Monday to do more to halt climate change, prompting the response that the developed West has been polluting the skies for much longer than the newly developing Chinese.

Removing Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe would not automatically deliver democracy to the troubled African nation, said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The pace of sales of pre-owned homes fell slightly in July but the inventory of unsold properties soared to the highest level in over 15 years as troubles in the subprime mortgage market continued to wreak havoc on the housing sector. Home sales slid 0.2 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted 5.75 million unit annual rate, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Yahoo Inc said on Sunday it was giving its e-mail users more ways to reach friends and online contacts by allowing them to trade messages with mobile phone users.

Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Richard Breeden, who is seeking three seats on H&R Block Inc's board of directors, said on Monday three more shareholder advisory firms have backed his slate of candidates.

Thousands of Greeks threatened by towering walls of fire fled their homes on Monday as strong winds fanned blazes that have devastated the country and killed 63 people in four days.

Shares of Countrywide Financial Corp dropped as much as 7 percent on Monday after analysts slashed earnings estimates for the largest U.S. mortgage lender and a report showed existing home sales fell.

Bhaviesh and Varsha Shah bought their dream home in a new development east of Los Angeles two years ago, planted flowers around an emerald lawn and picked out wicker furniture for sitting outside on cool afternoons.

Musicians marched a silent second line through the French Quarter on Sunday to protest the state of New Orleans' famed music scene nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

After recently gaining one of the biggest teen audiences ever on television, 'High School Musical 2' won the top honor for best TV movie.

Sprint Nextel Corp, which recently said it would spend up to $5 billion on a mobile high-speed wireless standard by 2010, said it had awarded the New York WiMax market to Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

The global airlines body IATA said on Monday it had placed its last order for paper tickets, clearing the way for air travel to be based entirely on electronic ticketing from June 1 next year.

Home Depot Inc agreed to cut the price in its supply division sale to buyout firms by $1.8 billion, sources said on Sunday, as a housing market drop and a credit crunch forced all sides to renegotiate.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose tenure has been marked by controversy over civil liberties and the firings of prosecutors, has resigned, a senior U.S. official said on Monday. Following are some facts about Gonzales.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned from office on Monday, ending a controversial tenure as chief law enforcement officer that blemished the administration of President George W. Bush.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the world's third-biggest mobile phone maker, said on Monday it expected to sell more than 40 million mobile handsets in the third quarter.