COMPANIES

American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) was partially rebuffed in its effort to get $10 billion out of Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) Wednesday, as a Los Angeles U.S. district judge dismissed some of the New York re-insurer's claims in its securities lawsuit against the giant Charlotte, North Carolina- bank.

MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) said Thursday it will appeal a decision by Europe's second-highest court rejecting the credit card company's argument against an EU ban on cross-border card fees, Reuters reported.

Japan Tobacco Inc. (Tokyo: JT) is buying all outstanding shares in Belgian tobacco company Gryson NV from its parent GT&Co BVBA for ?475 million ($596.3 million), the company announced Thursday.

A New York jury on Wednesday heard former Goldman director Rajat Gupta on a FBI wiretap casually discussing business with Raj Rajaratnam, the now-imprisoned hedge fund founder he is accused of tipping off about boardroom secrets.

Hewlett Packard Co outlined a plan on Wednesday to lay off roughly 27,000 employees or about 8 percent of its workforce to jumpstart growth.

Google Inc's Android mobile platform has not infringed Oracle Corp's patents, a California jury decided, putting an indefinite hold on Oracle's quest for damages in a legal fight between the two Silicon Valley giants over smartphone technology.

Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL), the No. 1 database company, said it would acquire private cloud media marketer Vitrue for an undisclosed sum a day after German rival SAP (NYSE: SA), Europe's No. 1 software company, offered to acquire e-commerce specialist Ariba Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA) for $4.3 billion.

Business Review Weekly named Australian mining tycoon Gina Rinehart the World's Richest Woman, surpassing Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton.

Mazda Motor Corporation (Tokyo: 7261) and Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. (ETR: FIAT) will jointly develop and manufacture a new rear-wheel-drive, roadster sports car based on the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo brands, the companies announced Wednesday.

Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M), the owner of its namesake and Bloomingdale's department stores, said Wednesday it will start selling some of the department store chain's private label merchandise directly to consumers in China next spring through a deal with a Chinese online retailer.

Shares of Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), the No. 1 computer maker, fell as much as 5.6 percent Wednesday, ahead of its expected announcement of second-quarter results.

How green is your city?

Another unsuccessful casino robbery took place at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The beginner's level heist went down on Saturday, May 19, when Michael Belton, 24, and an at-large accomplice named Carlos Rodriguez, attempted to get away with a stack of casino chips after shooting pepper-spray in to the dealers face.

Shares of DELL (Nasdaq: DELL), the No. 3 PC maker, plunged as much as 15 percent after the company reported first-quarter results that trailed analyst estimates for both income and revenue and issued a poor forecast.

Heath Ledger's Tree House in Hollywood Hills was bought by Josh Hutcherson. View the slideshow to see photos of the tree house formerly owned by the late Heath Ledger.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) shares climbed almost 2 percent in mid-day trading Wednesday, a day after Moody's Investors Service upgraded the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker's credit rating to investment grade.

Pomegranate juice peddler POM Wonderful lost a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission claiming the company used deceptive advertising in claiming its juice could treat or prevent certain illnesses.

Tesla Motors Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) shares got a big boost Tuesday following the announcement that the new Tesla Model S will begin shipping on June 22, ahead of schedule.

SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) has agreed Tuesday to buy Internet commerce company Ariba Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA) for $4.3 billion, as the German business software giant looks to expand its cloud-based services and challenge rival Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq: ORCL).

Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) reported first-quarter results that trailed analyst estimates for both income and revenue and issued a poor forecast for the current quarter

The second largest public pension fund said on Tuesday it plans to vote all of its Wal-Mart Stores Inc shares against the entire board in the wake of bribery allegations in Mexico that Wal-Mart officials failed to fully investigate.

Melissa Bowerman, a 41-year-old volunteer track coach in Oregon, was recently fired after she attended the school's prom with a 17-year-old male student.

Shares of Dell (Nasdaq: DELL), the No. 3 PC maker, rose nearly 2 percent Tuesday, in advance of the company?s report of first-quarter results.

Certain Groupon customers are entitled to part of the $8.5 million in damages that have been awarded as part of a class-action lawsuit against the company. Here's how to find out if you are eligible for a voucher.

U.S. Airways flight 787 was diverted to Maine on Tuesday, May 22, where it landed safely after reports of a passenger showing suspicious behavior. according to CNN , a passenger who claimed to have a device surgically implanted inside her triggered a security scare that led the plane to divert to North Carolina, with NORAD F-15 fighter jets by its side.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), the No. 2 computer maker, said it opened a new center in Da Nang, Vietnam, its third center in the Southeast Asian country.

iPhone 5 rumors are heating up if Apple hopes to release the smartphone between June and October. The latest report comes from 9 to 5 Mac, which says it has independently heard that Apple is testing multiple versions of its sixth-generation iPhone, but the displays are not only bigger, but sharper, too.

Formula 1, the popular global auto racing sport, is on its way to a possible IPO as financial investors such as Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (NYSE: WDR), Norges Bank Investment Management and BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) bought 21 percent of the company, CVC Capital Partners, owner of Formula 1, confirmed Tuesday.

Days after France attempted to ban a genetically-modified strain of maize created by the controversial agricultural company Monsanto, based in St. Louis, Mo., the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected France's grounds for banning the maize, even though France believes the corn is harmful to the environment.