5 things you need to know Monday

1. Apple unveils mobile payment program

Today, Apple unveils its Apple Pay program to an audience of more than 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners. For years, companies have been talking about replacing credit cards with smartphones to pay for goods. But consumers have been slow to play along. Apple could change the game. Apple Pay will also work with the company's new iPads — the Air 2 and Mini 3, which will be released Friday — but only for in-app purchases. To pay at retail, you'll need the new phones.

2. IBM spins off chip division in 'major' announcementIn what it had billed as a "major" announcement, IBM on Monday said it had OK'd Santa Clara-based GlobalFoundries to take over the tech titan's microelectronics business, as the company continues its transition toward the enterprise market. According to terms of the deal, IBM will pay GlobalFoundries $1.5 billion in cash over the next years, and will take a pre-tax charge of $4.7 billion for the third quarter. Shares of IBM were down 4.53% in pre-market trading.

3. Lufthansa pilots plan to strike again on Monday

Pilots at Lufthansa plan to strike again this week. The Vereinigung Cockpit union that represents the pilots has announced a 35-hour labor action that would begin Monday and target the German carrier's short-haul routes. The union says the labor action will target pilots who fly Lufthansa's Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Embraer aircraft. Those planes – narrow-body jets used mostly for shorter flights – handle most of Lufthansa's flights within Germany and within Europe. Monday's strike would be just the latest staged in recent months by pilots, who are mired in a disagreement with Lufthansa regarding retirement benefits.

4. Data on comet that made history Sunday could be released

A glowing comet barreled past Mars at some 126,000 mph on Sunday, its core of ice and dust barely missing the Red Planet and Mars' flotilla of costly scientific spacecraft. Data from the comet's close approach should become available Monday or Tuesday, NASA said. Comet Siding Spring, a cosmic leftover of the planet-building process, veered 16 times closer to Mars than any comet has come to Earth in recorded history. Comets have certainly brushed past Mars before, but never before have human beings had the means to scrutinize such an encounter.

5. Eyes on Wall Street after last week's roller coaster

Investors head into the new trading week a lot less fearful and a lot less poorer – but still a bit on edge – after the stock market recouped most of its big losses with a strong rebound rally Friday that capped off another turbulent week on Wall Street. And while it's impossible to play down the potential headline risk that is still out there, markets this week will instead be focusing on a fresh batch of incoming profit reports from U.S. companies and a rash of new economic data, ranging from sales of new and existing homes last month to the September reading on consumer inflation.

And, the essentials:

Weather: The national weather forecast for Monday calls for a traveling cold front that will bring some rain to parts of the U.S.

Stocks: Japan stocks soar and U.S. stock futures trade higher.

TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Millers, Jane the Virgin, American Dad.

If you missed this weekend's news, we've got you covered here.

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