COMPANIES

Japan Airlines said it would keep its partnership with American Airlines in the Oneworld alliance, ending an attempt by Delta Air Lines to entice the bankrupt carrier to its rival SkyTeam group.

Toyota Motor Corp said it would recall nearly half a million new Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems as it battled criticism of its response to the spiraling safety crisis.

Dutch sports car maker Spyker Cars on Monday said it has secured the financing to close its purchase of the Swedish auto brand Saab from General Motors, but still has not secured the funds for a required subsequent payment.

Toyota Motor Corp will suspend domestic production of its Sai and Lexus HS250h hybrids, which are to be recalled for faulty brakes, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The U.S. Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has agreed to sell its headquarters building in Washington to CoStar Group Inc (CSGP.O) for a loss, the Wall Street Journal said.

Canadian housing starts rose by a larger than expected 5.8 percent in January, the fourth straight monthly gain, offering further proof of housing's strength in an otherwise tepid economy.

The Obama administration and U.S. lawmakers are missing an opportunity to revamp the U.S. housing finance system, which should be central to regulatory reform, a top Federal Reserve official said in an interview on Monday.

A consumer advocate set to testify this week in a congressional probe of safety issues at Toyota Motor Corp said on Sunday the automaker had skirted a full investigation of unintended acceleration in its vehicles and faced a risk of growing recalls.

Australia's BHP Billiton named Chris Campbell as president of the firm's iron ore business on Monday, the second major management reshuffle among top miners in the country focused on soaring demand from China.

Australian wealth manager AMP Ltd has let its exclusive deal with French insurer AXA SA expire for a joint $11 billion buy of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings, paving the way for rival bidder National Australia Bank to start talks with the French.

China National Offshore Oil Corp's likely acquisition of oil field assets in Africa should silence critics concerned that the country's top offshore oil producer has been sitting on too much cash for too long.

Spanish bank Santander is considering the sale of a minority stake in its UK arm through a stock market flotation to potentially repeat a windfall from a Brazilian spinoff last year, industry sources said on Monday.

Hollywood studio Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, is looking to buy Walt Disney's Miramax film unit, the New York Post said, citing sources inside or close to Lionsgate.

The cascading crisis at Toyota Motor Corp stemming from the massive recall of some of its vehicles is prompting other manufacturers that adopted its production system to ask whether the incident reveals a fundamental flaw in the Toyota Way.

Toyota Motor Corp is preparing a recall of its new Prius hybrid car in Japan as early as Tuesday, followed by similar steps in the United States, Europe and other markets, a source familiar with its plans said.

Electric cars must be backed by smart power networks if they are to help the world's climate problems, environmentalists warned on Monday as European ministers prepared to debate a strategy for the sector.

Toyota Motor's President Akio Toyoda apologized on Friday in his first public appearance at a news conference in Nagoya for its recall crisis.

BAE Systems Plc, the largest European defense contractor, said on Friday it will pay a $400 million fine to the U.S. government and plead guilty to a criminal charge as part of a settlement to end a more than two year investigation.

Social networking company FriendFinder Networks Inc indefinitely shelved its planned $220 million initial public offering on Friday, citing market conditions.

The brother, sons and niece of imprisoned epic swindler Bernard Madoff have agreed to an asset freeze in a lawsuit brought by the trustee winding down the Madoff firm, court documents filed on Friday said.

Rap music artist, Jay-Z, on Wednesday sued an investment firm and a bank, accusing them of trying to bleed $3.7 million from him over a loan to help him build a hotel on Manhattan's west side.

Fewer U.S. homeowners expect the value of their homes to decline in the year ahead, but they also believe gains are unlikely, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey published on Friday.

U.S. private equity firm Blackstone and British buyout firm Resolution Group have talked to National Australia Bank about teaming up for its possible bid for more than 300 Royal Bank of Scotland branches, people familiar with the matter said.

Once Li Shufu, head of China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, closes the deal to buy Ford Motor's Volvo unit for up to $2 billion, the sedate, safety-conscious Swedish brand may be in the running to replace the Audi A6 as Chinese state officials' car of choice.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc launched an unsolicited $5.1-billion cash bid to buy rival Airgas Inc on Friday in a move to create the largest industrial gas company in North America.

The number of U.S. homes listed for sale rose in January compared to December after 18 consecutive months of decline, according to data released on Thursday by real estate brokerage ZipRealty.

Toyota Motor Corp is seeking to recall its third-generation Prius hybrid cars in Japan to fix a software glitch related to braking, a source with knowledge of its discussions with safety authorities said.

Kraft Foods on Friday said it had 75.41 percent acceptances from Cadbury Plc shareholders by 1900 GMT on February 4 in its takeover of the British confectioner and will now move to delist Cadbury no earlier than March 8.

Food giant Kraft Foods and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway sold $17.5 billion in debt on Thursday, braving a suddenly weak corporate bond market to finance major acquisitions, market sources said.