European equities rose early on Monday, with Irish drugmaker Elan leading the sector on reports Novartis was in talks to buy parts of the company, while commodity shares tracked firmer metals and crude prices.

With the stock market in turmoil, it’s a good time to check in on what Warren Buffett is doing with his portfolio. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A, BRK.B) has struggled in the first half of the year. Money Morning’s Jason Simpkins says $3.5 billion of Berkshire’s recent $4-billion shopping spree is still unaccounted for…

The media have dubbed it “the new age of epidemics.” From SARS to cancer, diabetes to the flu, we live in a world of increasingly powerful germs and diseases.