COMPANIES

The Obama administration pledged on Monday to stay out of General Motors' choice of a buyer for its European Opel unit, while union leaders in Germany put more pressure on the U.S. automaker to make a decision.

An executive from Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. (Chinalco) denied recent media reports that the company is in talks with Australian miner Rio Tinto on a possible bauxite deal, local media Caijing reported on Monday.

General Motors Co is considering a plan to raise funding to keep Opel as an alternative to selling the unit to Magna International with financing from the German government, sources with knowledge of the deliberations said on Monday.

* Women should limit extra sugar calories to 100 per day * Men should eat no more than 150 extra sugar calories * Soft drinks No. 1 source of added sugar in U.S. dietAmericans need to cut back dramatically on sugar consumption, the American Heart Association said on Monday in a recommendation that is likely to rile food and beverage companies.

New Zealand jewellery retailer Michael Hill International Ltd (MHI.NZ) reported a 176 percent rise in full year net profit on Tuesday due to a one-off tax gain.

The revival of the Victorian-era tin ceiling is providing a modern-day, decorative flourish that is getting many home owners to look up.

Benchmark iron ore prices in China fell to $95 a tonne on Monday, easing 17 percent from its nearly one-year peak of $115 in early August, as traders said many Chinese steel mills stopped buying ore for future delivery.

The Tengzhong-Hummer deal hasn't been approved by the Chinese government, Xinhua reported on Monday, citing government officials.

Sprint Nextel Corp's proposed $483 million merger with Virgin Mobile USA Inc received antitrust clearance, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Monday.

General Motors Co is considering keeping its Opel business in Europe instead of selling it by winning billions of dollars in aid from the U.S. and European governments, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

China's Sinopec Corp said on Sunday its net profit in the first half of 2009 rose by 332.8% year-on-year, due to adjusted refined oil prices on the domestic market.

On-line health supplement retailer and manufacturer Vitacost.com set the estimated price range on Monday for shares in its planned initial public offering, a sign that its stock flotation could be imminent.

The publisher of Reader's Digest on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, carrying out its plan to cut debt and transfer ownership of the 87-year-old U.S. magazine and other businesses to a group of lenders.

AutoNation Inc (AN.N), the largest U.S. chain of auto dealers, decided to end its

The Obama administration will not get involved in General Motors Corp.'s choice of a buyer for its Opel operations in Europe, an administration official said on Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The U.S. units of media company Reader's Digest Association Inc filed for bankruptcy, marking a new chapter for the 87-year-old magazine as it carries out a plan to cut its debt and transfer ownership to a group of lenders.

Wall Street salaries have become everybody's business lately, but the Obama administration's pay czar may try to keep under wraps a large portion of the compensation plans he is reviewing.

The German government sought to calm a growing transatlantic row over the fate of carmaker Opel on Monday as unions threatened

British gas producer BG Group Plc said a well it and partner Petrobras drilled offshore Brazil does not contain hydrocarbons despite an initial examination suggesting gas could be present.

Crescent Point Energy Corp said on Monday it has agreed to acquire private oil and gas producer Wave Energy Ltd for about C$665 million, in a bid to expand its asset base in Saskatchewan.

The Obama administration will not get involved in General Motors Corp.'s choice of a buyer for its Opel operations in Europe, an administration official said on Monday.

Women's-apparel retailer Charlotte Russe Holdings Inc said it has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Advent International Corp for about $380 million in cash.

The amount of metal ETF Securities holds to back its palladium exchange-traded commodity was at a record high on August 21, the company said in a daily report on Monday.

Volkswagen AG (VOWG.DE) agreed on Saturday to give workers at its plant in Mexico a small raise, clearing the way to end a strike in an industry already hurt by the U.S. recession.

Russia's biggest lender Sberbank posted a 6.8 billion rouble ($212.9 million) net profit at Russian accounting standards for January-July of 2009, a 90 percent decline from the same period of 2008, the bank reported on Monday.

Deutsche Bank plans to issue new Tier 1 debt in a deal that could reopen Europe's market for hybrid subordinated financial debt as banks seek to rebuild balance sheets in the wake of the financial crisis.

Fox-Pitt Kelton expects Citigroup Inc to face another $44 billion in loan losses over the next 18 months, but said the embattled bank's capital is now strong following the painfully dilutive preferred conversion.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) will recall 688,314 Camry and other sedans made at its two China joint ventures from Tuesday, its largest recall in the country, to fix a faulty electric switch to the window.

Canadian oil and natural gas trust Daylight Resources Trust said late on Sunday it is to buy Highpine Oil & Gas Ltd for C$530 million ($492 million) including the assumption of debt and transaction costs.