Japanese shares were lower in late trading after rises to the yen overshadowed optimism at the country's election result.

The UK economy shrank by 0.7% between April and June, less than the previous estimate of a 0.8% contraction.

Reuters - Chinese stocks tumbled 5 percent to a three-month low on Monday, weighing on Asian stocks and sapping investor willingness to put money at risk, while the yen rose sharply after Japanese voters swept the opposition into power.

India's economy showed annual growth of 6.1% in the second three months of the year, despite the global economic downturn.

A 'garage sale' organised by Arnold Schwarzenegger to raise money to help reduce California's budget deficit raises more than $1.5m (£925,000).

The Shanghai Composite Index hit a three-month low as a series of negative factors has relentlessly weighed down the market since early August.

Japan's factory output rose for the fifth straight month in July as manufacturers gained confidence in the country's nascent recovery.

Swedish bank Nordea signs a contract to buy Denmark's state-backed Fionia Bank for 121m euros.

A two pence rise in fuel duty will come into effect from midnight, which will be the third increase in nine months.

Reuters - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday for the last session of the month, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.78 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.77 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.87 percent at 0825 GMT (4:25 a.m. EDT).

Reuters - U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett intends to raise his stake in Chinese electric car and battery maker BYD Co Ltd (1211.HK), BYD's chairman said on Monday, sending shares in his company up 8 percent.

The Shanghai composite index plunged 6.75 percent on Monday to close out the worst performance for the month among the world?s major exchanges.

Baker Hughes will buy BJ Services in a cash-and-stock deal that the company said will allow it to drive international growth.

While deepening Lufthansa?s presence in the U.S. market, the ?code-share? agreement would also allow JetBlue to market flights to European destinations for the first time.

To prevent massive job losses, the Malaysian government banned the hiring of new foreign workers in January. But businesses are hurting from the shortage.

The German media company said that restructuring charges as well as declines in advertising revenue and consumer spending weighed on its results.

The eurozone's annual rate of inflation was negative in August for the third month running.

US consumer spending rose slightly in July, helped in part by the government's 'cash for clunkers' car scrappage scheme.

Reuters - Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Monday as Chinese equities dropped sharply and commodities fell on concerns that asset prices have run ahead of the economic realities.

Reuters - Baker Hughes Inc said it will buy smaller competitor BJ Services Co for $5.5 billion in stock and cash to expand its international business and take advantage of BJ's pressure pumping expertise.

Reuters - New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley said on Monday it is too early to talk about curtailing the central bank's long-term security purchases while the economic recovery is fragile.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel, including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters.

On the fourth anniversary of the hurricane that redefined its future, New Orleans is no longer talking about mere recovery.

Walt Disney is to buy Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal which will add 5,000 characters to the Disney stable.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co said on Monday it plans to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion in a deal that would add characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four to its entertainment empire.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Monday after Chinese equities dropped sharply and commodities fell on concerns that asset prices have run ahead of the economic realities.

Reuters - New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley said it is too early to talk about curtailing the central bank's long-term security purchases while the U.S. economic recovery is fragile.

In the deal, Disney will acquire more than 5,000 Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man and Captain America.

The Shanghai composite index plunged 6.75 percent on Monday to close out the worst performance for the month among the world?s major exchanges.

The World Trade Organization has ruled that Brazil can set sanctions against American goods as a result of the United States? failure to eliminate illegal subsidies to cotton growers.

Most large-circulation magazines saw slight declines in overall circulation in the United States, while some posted small gains, as the industry continued to increase subscription sales.

An engineer who chased after Google for 10 years while at Yahoo is returning to his mission at Microsoft.

Preliminary data showed that consumer prices in the euro zone fell 0.2 percent in August from a year earlier, after a revised 0.7 percent drop in July.

Nigerian anti-corruption police bring criminal charges against executives from five banks rescued in a $2.6bn bail-out.

The US faces trade sanctions for failing to scrap illegal subsidies paid to US cotton growers - but at a lower level than had been threatened.

Lord Turner, the boss of the UK's financial watchdog, defends his comments about the introduction of a new tax on banks.

US consumer spending rose slightly in July, helped in part by the government's 'cash for clunkers' car scrappage scheme.

Reuters - Stocks fell on Monday after a sharp drop in Chinese equities called into question whether asset prices have raced ahead of an economic recovery.

Reuters - A cluster of regional reports on Monday showed business activity picking up steam in August, suggesting the U.S. economy is breaking free of its deep recession.

Baker Hughes will buy BJ Services in a cash-and-stock deal that the company said will allow it to expand internationally.

Foreign investment is helping Lodz, Poland, and Poles who left the country are coming home to work.

Taxpayers may have earned about $4 billion so far for their rescue of the banking system, but some believe there was a lot more money left on the table.

The profits, about $4 billion, have come from eight of the biggest banks that have fully repaid their bailout obligations to the government.

The nation?s economy contracted at a 3.4 percent annual pace in the quarter, better than the 6.1 percent decline in the first period.

Brazil's president unveils plans to overhaul its oil industry to take advantage of vast supplies found offshore.

Reuters - Walt Disney Co agreed to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion in a deal that would add characters such as Iron Man, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four to its entertainment empire.

Reuters - Jerome Kerviel, the French former trader blamed by Societe Generale for close to 5 billion euros ($7.2 billion) in losses, was ordered to stand trial on Monday, his lawyer Olivier Metzner told Reuters.

Reuters - The International Brotherhood of Teamsters union urged shareholders of FedEx Corp on Monday to back its effort to separate the positions of chairman and chief executive at the U.S. package delivery giant.

Disney?s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment will also add Spider-Man, Iron Man and Captain America to its array of entertainment businesses.

Losses in China?s main stock-market index ignited a sell-off in markets from Asia to Europe to Wall Street, as traders worried that a worldwide rally in stocks this summer had flown too high, too fast.

Restrictions on incandescent bulbs went into effect across Europe, but the change is proving problematic.

An investigation into possible violations by Porsche in the trading of Volkswagen shares has spread outside the sports-car maker?s home base of Stuttgart to Frankfurt.

Government stimulus measures helped spur demand, although a poor monsoon threatens to crimp growth later in the year even as it drives inflation.

Jerome Kerviel, the French former trader blamed by Société Générale for $7.2 billion in losses, was ordered to stand trial, his lawyer Olivier Metzner said.

Jerome Kerviel, an alleged 'rogue trader' blamed by Societe Generale for 4.9bn euros in losses, has been charged.

Reuters - U.S. stocks ended lower on Monday as a sharp drop in Chinese equities (.SSEC) added to concerns about the global economy's recovery.

Reuters - A cluster of U.S. regional reports on Monday showed business picking up steam in August, suggesting the national economy is finally breaking free of its deep recession.

Reuters - The leaders of Germany and France took aim at the banking sector on Monday, pledging to check banks' power and push for limits on bonus payments at a Group of 20 summit next month.

AP - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has launched an addition to its online business that has outside retailers selling nearly 1 million new items through Walmart.com, a move that could help the world's largest retailer catch up in the online world.

The executive, Scott E. Carson, will be succeeded by the executive in charge of he company?s top military-program.

The suit, filed in Kentucky, claims that the authority given to the F.D.A. violates the free speech of tobacco companies.

John McMahon, chief executive of an aircraft leasing company, had a romantic reason for flying the long way home to Ireland from his job in Japan.

The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago?s business index increased to 50, the dividing line between contraction and expansion.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell on Monday as concerns about the global economy's health weighed on Wall Street following a sell-off in Chinese equities.

The team that could find a way to pay G.M. retirees and save the government money is being scrutinized by the government.

Restrictions on incandescent bulbs begin going into effect on Tuesday, but the change is proving problematic amid concern over cost and safety.

The executive, Scott E. Carson, will be succeeded by the person in charge of the company?s top military program.

Baker Hughes will buy BJ Services in a cash-and-stock deal that the company said will allow it to expand internationally.

Most major airlines plan to install Wi-Fi despite little evidence that the investment will pay off.

A jury found last month that the former chief of A.I.G. had not improperly shed stock from the insurer, and a federal judge agreed.

While deepening Lufthansa?s presence in the U.S. market, the ?code-share? agreement would also allow JetBlue to market flights to European destinations for the first time.

The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago?s business index increased to 50, the dividing line between contraction and expansion.

Reuters - Boeing Co , which has experienced a series of embarrassing and costly delays on the long-awaited 787 Dreamliner, said on Monday that Scott Carson, the head of its commercial airplanes division, is retiring and will be replaced by Jim Albaugh, effective on Tuesday.

Reuters - Yahoo Inc board member Carl Icahn has cut back his stake in Yahoo, selling nearly 13 million shares since last Thursday, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.

AP - A federal court in Newark, N.J. has rejected Schering-Plough Corp.'s request for a $473 million tax refund related to the drugmaker's efforts to avoid paying taxes on $690 million in overseas profits it brought back to the U.S. from offshore subsidiaries.

The $1.1 billion will be in two funds that will make technology investments ranging from $2 million to $15 million.

Large tobacco companies have banded together to say that a new law further limiting the marketing of cigarettes is a First Amendment issue.

Disney?s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment will also add Spider-Man and Captain America to its array of businesses.

Street sales fall by 12.4 percent, but subscriptions rose, meaning that overall circulation was down by 1.2 percent, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Reuters - The U.S. pay czar has begun reviewing the appropriateness of the richest pay packages proposed by firms that received billions of dollars in government aid.

The government?s plan to tighten limits on the production and export of so-called rare earth elements would force more manufacturers to make their wares in China.

Japan?s opposition party, which has returned to power, pledged a shift away from deregulation and market-led growth, but its economy may in fact need more of that.

The oil giant Chevron posted videos on its Web site of meetings in Ecuador that appear to implicate officials connected to a $27 billion lawsuit over environmental damage.

A small film for Welsh teenagers has been viewed millions of times. That may not mean changed behavior.

Reuters - Chinese shares stabilized on Tuesday after Monday's rout, helped by upbeat economic data, while the Aussie dollar firmed on expectations the central bank could shift to a tightening bias later in the day.

Reuters - Bank of America is offering to repay part of the U.S. government bailout money, starting with the $20 billion it received in January to help with the acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website late on Monday.