Reuters - U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. has pulled out of its longtime sponsorship of the Academy Awards, one of the biggest annual events on broadcast television, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Reuters - General Motors Corp has had preliminary talks with Hunan Changfeng Motor Co (600991.SS) on a possible sale of its Hummer brand but the Chinese sport utility vehicle (SUV) maker has backed off, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Reuters - Some analysts are girding for a third-quarter loss of $1.8 billion or more from U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc , instead of the modest profit they had previously expected, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Reuters - Top miner BHP Billiton , bidding for rival Rio Tinto in what would be the world's second-biggest takeover, posted a 12.4 percent rise in full-year net profit to a record $15.4 billion, as Chinese demand stoked a commodities boom.

Reuters - Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) (8306.T), Japan's largest bank, said on Monday it had sweetened its bid for control of U.S. unit UnionBanCal Corp by about 17 percent to $3.5 billion.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets extended gains on Friday after an overnight rally on Wall Street which also helped to lift Japanese share prices, dealers said.

Reuters - Bolstered by falling oil prices and a rising dollar, stocks could extend their modest gains this week, even in the face of still troubling consumer- and housing-related data.

Reuters - UBS AG's chairman is sure the troubled Swiss bank will still be independent in two years' time, according to an interview published on Saturday.

AP - The lower profits and muted outlooks this week from retailers such as J.C. Penney Co., Macy's Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. are heightening concerns among investors that shoppers' focus on necessities and buying at discounters could linger well into next year.

Reuters - Regulators upheld a record $10.2 million fine against Southwest Airlines Co for alleged safety violations and want payment this month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday.