'American Idol' is the financial lifeblood of Fox's prime-time business, but the network has kept news about the series almost completely under wraps in the last several months.

Lime is a media company devoted to new-age lifestyle programs on subjects like organic food, hybrid cars and alternative medicine that has big-name backers.

Medicis Pharmaceutical rejected an unsolicited $2.2 billion merger bid made late Friday by the Mentor Corporation.

The French investor Vincent Bolloré has teamed up with Martin Sorrell and the private equity group Hellman & Friedman to bid for the Aegis Group.

The deals are for 112 aircraft from Emirates Airlines and China and extend Boeing's gains in new business this year over its larger rival.

Peter C. Newman, a best-selling author and former editor of Maclean's magazine, was served with a $1.8 million lawsuit from Conrad Black at a black-tie social event in Toronto.

Search now claims the No. 2 spot among online tasks after sending and receiving e-mail messages.

Skype Technologies, which provides free- and low-cost Web-based telephone services, is reaching for the American consumer mainstream.

If the vast, empty plain of eastern Montana is the Saudi Arabia of coal, then Gov. Brian Schweitzer may be its Lawrence.

Significant differences still prevent advertisers and agencies from working together more productively.

Snarky Internet shoppers have quickly turned Amazon.com's new tagging system into digital graffiti.

Last Monday's episode of NBC's 'Medium' offered a new twist on product placement, with a story line woven around an upcoming Sony Pictures movie.

The announcement builds on TiVo's release in February that allows its users to transfer programs to personal computers and DVD's.

BP buys a stake in main Chinese jet fuel importer China Aviation Oil, but the size of the investment is not revealed.

Reuters - Washington and Beijing will cooperate toward making the yuan's exchange rate more responsive to market forces of supply and demand, visiting U.S. President George W. Bush said on Sunday.

Wall Street analysts expect a shortage in the U.S., with some saying Microsoft has purposely stoked demand beyond the company's ability to meet it.

SBC Communications completed its purchase of AT&T on Friday and the new company logo will keep the blue globe as its basic motif.

An auditors' report of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has raised questions about the propriety of a number of large contracts.

Shares in state-owned French power company EDF are scheduled to start trading in Paris on Monday.

Russian steel firm Novolipesk is this week expected to announce plans to list on the London Stock Exchange.

European Union trade ministers are due to meet as the battle over farm subsidies threatens to derail WTO talks.

Reuters - Mentor Corp. , a U.S.-based maker of breast implants and other medical devices, said it had proposed a $2.2 billion bid for Medicis Pharmaceutical Co. , turning an existing industry takeover battle on its head.

Lime is a media company devoted to new-age lifestyle programs on subjects like organic food, hybrid cars and alternative medicine that has big-name backers.

General Motors is expected to outline a restructuring plan on Monday that could include a series of plant closings and other cutbacks.

British rail and bus operator Stagecoach agrees to sell its New Zealand operations for NZ$250.5m (£100m).

Reuters - General Motors Corp Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will announce plans this week to close four U.S. assembly plants, the Automotive News industry paper reported on Monday, citing a "company insider."

Reuters - Shares in GlaxoSmithKline Plc fell 5 percent on Monday after the U.S. Food and Drug and Administration proposed restrictions on its top-selling asthma drug Advair, threatening future sales.

Global oil prices rise as colder weather hits the north-east of the US, raising concerns about heating oil supplies.

Confectionary giant Cadbury Schweppes agrees to sell its European soft drinks business for £1.3bn.

China awards Siemens and a Japanese consortium contracts to supply high-speed trains, reports claim.

Shares in state-owned French power company EDF open flat as they start trading on the Paris stock exchange.

Boeing signs massive deals to sell planes to China and Dubai, worth nearly $14bn (£8.15bn) between them.

British rail and bus operator Stagecoach agrees to sell its New Zealand operations for NZ$250.5m (£100m).

Annual house price inflation rose in September for the first time in six months, government figures show.

The chairman and president of Japanese electronics group Pioneer quit to take the blame for its current problems.

Reuters - General Motors Corp Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will announce plans this week to close four U.S. assembly plants, the Automotive News industry paper reported on Monday, citing a "company insider."

AP - The Japanese government remained upbeat about the economy in its latest monthly report Monday, saying strong consumer demand combined with a rebound in exports is keeping the nation's recovery going.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures were little changed, pointing to a flat to slightly higher market opening on Monday, amid reports General Motors Corp. , the world's largest automaker, may close factories.

US carmaker General Motors says it will cut 30,000 jobs under a shake-up that aims to save the firm $2.5bn a year.

Confectionery giant Cadbury Schweppes agrees to sell its European soft drinks business for £1.3bn.

Brussels will not offer any new deals on agriculture ahead of world trade talks next month, Peter Mandelson says.

The government says it will ''look at all options'' as the CBI calls on it to decide about the future of nuclear energy.

Gaming firm Empire Online pulls out of takeover talks with larger rival Partygaming and threatens legal action.

EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to try to iron out disagreements over the next budget.

Reuters - Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. on Monday said they would form a new company to manufacture NAND flash memory for consumer electronics, removable data storage and handheld communications devices.

Reuters - Planemaker Boeing Co. revealed its first leasing company buyers of the hot-selling 787 mid-sized aircraft on Monday, announcing previously unidentified deals worth up to $4.6 billion at list prices.

Reuters - Pfizer Inc. is set to pay Incyte Corp. as much as $803 million for the development, manufacture and marketing rights of drugs to treat chronic inflammatory conditions, the companies said on Monday.

AP - Russian President Vladimir Putin called for stronger economic ties with Japan on Monday and said his country was committed to a pipeline that will supply crude oil to Japan and other countries in east Asia.

Reuters - U.S. blue chips were slightly higher at the open on Monday as General Motors Corp. , a Dow component, announced plans to close factories and cut as many as 30,000 jobs in an attempt to repair financial problems.

Rick Wagoner, the embattled chief, announced a new effort to stem the company's billion-dollar losses.

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet tells the EU Parliament that interest rates need to rise.

The UK is criticised for failing to steer the EU towards a solution of its 2007-13 budget disagreements.

Reuters - Sprint Nextel Corp. said on Monday it would buy wireless affiliate Alamosa Holdings Inc. for about $3.4 billion, resolving legal issues that arose from Sprint's purchase of Nextel Communications, which operates in some of the same markets as the affiliate.

Reuters - A key gauge of the future direction of the U.S. economy rose 0.9 percent in October, offsetting the large decrease in September, a private research group said on Monday.

Reuters - Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. on Monday said they would form a venture to make NAND flash memory for consumer electronics, removable data storage and handheld communications devices.

Reuters - Rivals Boeing and Airbus announced more than $9 billion in aircraft orders on Monday, pushing them closer to a record tally this year as airlines grab more cost-efficient models due to high oil prices.

AP - A widely watched measure of future economic activity rose in October, signaling that the U.S. economy will grow this year — but at a more moderate pace than in 2004 — despite being battered by hurricanes in September.

Reuters - U.S. stocks were higher Monday after news of General Motors Corp.'s plan to cut jobs and close factories lifted investors' optimism about the future of the world's largest automaker.

Sprint Nextel Corporation said Monday it will acquire Alamosa Holdings Inc., its largest wireless affiliate, for $3.4 billion.

A new generation of video gaming kicks off with Microsoft's Xbox 360 going on sale in the US.

China needs to move from an investment-led boom to greater emphasis on consumption, the IMF says.

US gamers face a shortage as the new Xbox launches on Tuesday and a similar situation looks likely in the UK.

Low-cost Indian airline Kingfisher signs a deal worth nearly $2bn to buy 30 A320 Airbus aircraft.

Reuters - Boeing Co. and Airbus on Monday announced more than $9 billion in aircraft orders, pushing the rivals closer to a record tally this year as airlines seek more fuel-efficient models.

Reuters - Job cuts at General Motors Corp. will shake consumer confidence across the United States and ripple through the auto parts industry, but the impact on the economy as a whole will be slight, economists said on Monday.

Reuters - U.S. stocks edged higher on Monday after aircraft deals by Boeing Co. boosted investor optimism about profits and a gauge of the future direction of the U.S. economy rose more than expected.

AP - Nursing home operator Beverly Enterprises Inc. said Monday it has agreed to be acquired by a private-equity firm for about $1.5 billion after a previous sale fell through because financing couldn't be lined up in time.

Rick Wagoner, the embattled chief, announced a new effort to stem the company's billion-dollar losses.

EU defence ministers decide to open up billions of euros of military spending to cross-border competition.

Reuters - Boeing Co. on Monday revealed the first leasing company buyers for its 787 Dreamliner jet, further boosting its lead over rival Airbus and sending its shares to a 4 1/2-year high.

Reuters - Job cuts at General Motors Corp. will shake consumer confidence across the United States and ripple through the auto parts industry, but the impact on the economy as a whole will be slight, economists said on Monday.

Reuters - U.S. stocks rose on Monday as Boeing Co. shares hit a 4-1/2-year high on news that the large U.S. aircraft maker had billions of dollars' worth of plane orders, which prompted some buying in a holiday-focused market.

Reuters - Exchange traded funds are to traditional mutual funds what the iPod is to a Sony Walkman: A new approach to accomplishing the same goal, seen as sexier and trendier, and everywhere you look.

The world's largest chipmaker will team up with Micron to make flash memory chips for Apple.

EU defence ministers decide to open up billions of euros of military spending to cross-border competition.

Reuters - More Federal Reserve rate increases are appropriate at this time, even with the federal funds rate at the low end of a neutral range, Chicago Fed President Michael Moskow said on Monday.

Reuters - Stocks rallied on Monday, driving the Dow to a gain for the year and its highest close since March as Boeing Co. shares hit a 4-1/2-year high on news of multibillion-dollar aircraft orders.

AP - Nursing home operator Beverly Enterprises Inc. said Monday it has agreed to be acquired by a private-equity firm for about $1.5 billion after a previous sale fell through because financing couldn't be lined up in time.

Google's new database could be more a spike to the heart than just another nail in the coffin for newspapers.

Reuters - Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKa.N) (BRKb.N), a company run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, on Monday revealed previously undisclosed holdings of shares in Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. .

Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Monday said that as part of its so-called "Black Friday" promotions, its stores will match any price featured in a local competitor's print advertisement if it has the identical product in stock.

Reuters - Xerox Corp., one of the world's biggest printer makers, said on Monday that it expects per-share profit to rise 10 percent to 15 percent next year boosted by growth in its color printing business.

AP - A widely watched measure of future economic activity rose in October, signaling that the economy will grow this year — but at a more moderate pace than in 2004 — despite being battered by hurricanes in September.

Reuters - Stocks rallied on Monday, driving the Dow to a gain for the year and its highest close since March as Boeing Co. shares hit a 4-1/2-year high on news of multibillion-dollar aircraft orders.

AP - A state judge dismissed charges Monday that were filed against a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce official who had been accused of aiding an improper trading scheme that stole more than $2 million from two mutual funds.

Reuters - Target Corp. on Monday said it expects sales at stores open at least a year to increase 2 percent to 3 percent for November, if it meets its sales plan for the fourth week of the month.

Many of the plants that will close are more than 50 years old and date back to an era when G.M. dominated the U.S. car market.

In the latest sign that the elite world of hedge funds is going mainstream, J. P. Morgan Chase is marketing a fund that will appeal to less wealthy investors.

The New York attorney general is dropping charges against a former Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce trader who was accused of aiding illegal trading in mutual funds.

Companies are profiting from environmental concerns - from global warming to leaking landfills - as new environment-friendly companies appear each day.

Google plans to make a $3 million gift to the Library of Congress for a project that aims to digitize significant primary materials from national libraries.

Microsoft is seeking approval to make the software formats behind its Office programs an 'open standard' that it would license free to competitors, partners and developers.

The president of the European Central Bank said that the bank had no plan to embark on a series of interest rate increases, but would assess the need for them over time.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Texas attorney general filed lawsuits against Sony BMG for violating consumers' rights and trading in malicious software.

By Bloomberg News.

By The Associated Press.

By The Associated Press.

By Reuters.

Lawrence J. Ellison has agreed to pay $22 million as part of a settlement of a shareholders' lawsuit that already included a $100 million donation to charities.

There is a passenger revolt against the tried-and-true system of issuing vouchers good for future flights to people willing to wait for the next departure.

The Sprint Nextel Corporation said that it would acquire Alamosa Holdings Inc., its largest Sprint-branded wireless affiliate, for $3.4 billion.

The companies announced a joint venture to manufacture NAND flash-memory chips in an effort to tap into one of the chip industry's fastest-growing segments.

As of today, the Goldman Sachs Group is officially green.

Despite their notable rise in the advertising business, women have a long way to go.

The cosmetic medical device company Mentor indicated yesterday that it would not take Medicis Pharmaceutical's blunt rejection of its $2.2 unsolicited billion takeover proposal as the final word.

Analysts questioned whether the revival plan was enough, saying it lacked the speed and breadth that had helped rivals make comebacks.

JetBlue Picks WPP Unit.

Cadbury Schweppes agreed to sell its European beverages unit, including the Orangina and Schweppes soft drinks, for $2.2 billion.

America Online reached an unusual arrangement that will allow almost any producer of video content to distribute programming on its service.

How many motorists are billed for existing damage to the cars they rent?

Ben A. Franklin was a former national correspondent for The New York Times.

To some, the business travel glass is half empty this year. To others, it's at least half full.

RADISSON ENDS INTERNET CHARGES Responding to growing complaints from business travelers about charges for in-room Internet access at upscale hotels, Radisson Hotels and Resorts said that starting Jan. 1, high-speed Internet access will be free in rooms at all its 186 hotels in the United States and 21 hotels in Canada.