Business

LONDON - European stock markets rose Monday as investors looked past a downgrade of Ireland's public debt and instead bet on a rebound on Wall Street later after sharp losses last week. Full Story »

• Slideshow: Stock Markets
• Interactive: Is history repeating itself? AP

Washington - As President Obama prepares to sign the second historic reform bill of his administration – health care in March, finance reform next week – Republicans are offering their own answers to why jobs have not recovered and enlisting business groups to help make their case. Full Story »

FARNBOROUGH, England - Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker says his company has ordered three business jets from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - London shares closed sharply lower on Friday following a downbeat session in the US where Citigroup and General Electric both posted poor earnings. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The Treasury Department failed to consider the economic fallout when it told General Motors and Chrysler to quickly shutter many dealerships as part of government-led bankruptcies, a federal watchdog found. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Halliburton Co. says its second-quarter profit soared 83 percent as natural gas drilling activity picked up in the U.S. Full Story »

BRUSSELS - There will be "no direct, immediate consequences" for Hungary after the EU and the International Monetary Fund suspended talks on the country's bailout package and called for bigger spending cuts, the EU executive said Monday. Full Story »

HONG KONG (Reuters) - American International Group Full Story »

DUBLIN - The Moody's agency cut Ireland's credit rating Monday, citing the country's swelling national debt, the unpredictable cost of its bank-bailout plans and its weak growth prospects for the next three to five years. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters) - Retail banks are making less profit on average from customers since the financial crisis as price-sensitive consumers shop around and become more demanding, according to a report released on Monday. Full Story »

Four years after the housing bubble popped, the American real estate market has yet to launch a sustainable recovery. Although U.S. home prices have improved modestly since the spring of 2009--and certain regional markets have performed even better--sales and values will face renewed downward pressure later this year in the wake of the expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit. Indeed, some analysts expect the bloated inventory and sputtering demand to trigger a "double dip" housing recession, with prices possibly even slipping back below their April 2009 lows. Full Story »

NEW ORLEANS - The federal government Monday allowed BP to keep the cap shut tight on its busted Gulf of Mexico oil well for another day after the company promised to watch closely for any signs of new leaks breaking through the sea floor, settling for the moment a rift between BP and the government. Full Story »

• Video: BP, feds clash over reopening capped oil well AP
• Slideshow: Gulf Coast Oil Spill

DES MOINES, Iowa - It's getting easier to get a car loan. Full Story »