COMPANIES

West Australian Newspaper Holdings (WAN.AX) (WAN) shares fell more than 11 percent when the stock resumed trading after announcing a $2 billion tie-up with Seven Media Group and completing share sales to institutions to help fund the deal.

Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) said it plans to lay off up to 2,000 workers in connection with a restructuring program in response to sluggish sales of some of its products.

Pfizer Inc said it has settled all outstanding lawsuits involving accusations that it tested the experimental antibiotic Trovan on children in Nigeria during a 1996 meningitis outbreak without receiving adequate prior consent.

U.S. homeowners facing foreclosure action haven't made a mortgage payment in an average of 17 months, compared to 11 months two years ago, and the time frame may increase, according to a USA Today report.

New York's elected judges will be barred from presiding over a case if the lawyer, plaintiff or defendant in that case has made any contribution of $2,500 or more in the judge's judicial election campaign during the two years prior to the trial, the state's top judge said.

New York's chief judge has taken steps to provide homeowners facing foreclosure legal representation free of charge.

Home Depot Inc (HD.N) beat quarterly profit and sales estimates and raised its fiscal-year outlook as shoppers took up long-delayed maintenance and repair projects for their homes in a slowly recovering U.S. economy.

A housing trade association is examining the possibility that the data it releases underestimated the collapse of the housing industry, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

China's ANTA Sports Products Ltd said it recorded 20 percent growth in order book value for the third quarter of 2011, suggesting optimism among distributors over sportswear industry prospects in the mainland.

Shares of Alibaba.com tumbled as much as 10 percent after an internal probe prompted resignations of its top executives and forced the company to clean up a vendor mess that defrauded buyers.

China Mobile Ltd, the world's biggest mobile operator, and state-run Xinhua News Agency have jointly launched an Internet search engine, the companies said on Tuesday.

China has fined retail giants Carrefour SA and Wal-Mart Stores Inc a combined 9.5 million yuan ($1.5 million) for manipulating product prices in some of their stores, the country's top economic planner said on Tuesday.

Temasek Holdings has hired former China International Capital Corp (CICC) investment banking head Ding Wei to lead its China operations, the Singapore state investor said late on Monday.

At a time when the Middle East political tensions increasingly weigh on global oil markets, Russia has made significant advances at the expense of the traditional Gulf-Arab oil exporters.

Workers at a factory in east China's Suzhou industrial park, producing touch screens for Apple on contract have reportedly written a letter to Steve Jobs, conveying their grievances surrounding cases of chemical poisoning caused by a certain ingredient used in production.

German automaker BMW launched a new sub-brand BMW i that is expected to unveil two vehicles in 2013.

Luxury carmaker Jaguar unveiled the C-X75 Concept car at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. The car C-X75 Concept is capable of reaching 100kph (62mph) in 3.4 seconds from standstill, it will also not harm the environment as it creates zero emissions during urban use.

Toyota Motors will introduce home battery chargers for electric and plug-in hybrid cars next year, the Nikkei business daily reported.

Jaguar and Land Rover is in talks with top Chinese sport utility vehicle maker Great Wall Motor Co about a potential China tie-up, two executives told Reuters on Monday.

German luxury auto-maker, Rolls-Royce has confirmed in a news release on Sunday that it plans to debut its first-ever fully electric powered Phantom on March 1 at the Geneva Motor Show.

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motors is seeking to secure rare earth mineral supply, as the industry faces a possible shortage of minerals.

Automotive Insight's latest report 'Electric Vehicles: Energy, Infrastructure and the Mobility Market in the Real World', however, says that the proportion to be accounted for by electric vehicles remains unclear.

The trial of Mark Ciavarella, a former Pennsylvania judge who has been charged with racketeering, fraud, money laundering, extortion, bribery and federal tax violations, drew to a close on Friday with the jury returning a guilty verdict.

General Motors Co (GM.N) will launch a new system to stream online radio from Pandora in upcoming Chevrolets starting with the Volt and Equinox. The new partnership comes as the top U.S. automaker looks to make up for lost ground against Ford Motor Co (F.N) in the increasingly competitive market for digital entertainment systems in vehicles.

Cumulus Media Inc. confirmed it is in exclusive talks to buy Citadel Broadcasting Corp for $37 a share in cash and stock, valuing the company in excess of $2 billion.

The Friends star may be leaving Los Angeles for New York.

New York Yankees’ A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) is to close a deal on a five-bedroom condo overlooking the Hudson River on the Upper West Side.

China Overseas Land and Investment Ltd, the country's largest developer bymarket value, said it aims to record 20 percent growth in netprofit this year, betting that it can ride through governmentmeasures to cool the market.

Record high gold prices are boosting the earnings and valuations of Gold Mining companies. Around 20 of the biggest gold producers represent approximately 60% of global corporate gold production: 30 million fine ounces, netting $40 billion in annual revenue.