Novartis seeks to buy rest of Alcon for $39 billion

Swiss drugmaker Novartis aims to buy the rest of the world's biggest eye care firm Alcon for $39.3 billion, including Nestle's majority stake, to help it diversify away from prescription drugs. Read Full Article here.

U.S. considering lesser term for UBS whistleblower: report

The U.S. Justice Department is considering whether to ask a judge to reduce the jail sentence of Bradley Birkenfeld, the key informant in the U.S. tax fraud case against Swiss bank UBS AG, the New York Times said, citing a person briefed on the matter. Read Full Article here.

Asia's factory output picks up steam in December

Factories in Asia stepped up production in December, with China's output growing at its fastest pace on record, suggesting economic activity is gathering pace in the region that is leading the global recovery. Read Full Article here.

Freescale takes aim at tablet computer market

Chipmaker Freescale Semiconductor Inc is staking its claim on the tablet computer market, an emerging product category that will generate plenty of interest in 2010. Read Full Article here.

Tokyo bourse rolls out high-speed platform

The Tokyo Stock Exchange successfully launched a high-speed trading system on Monday to better compete with major global rivals in the growing field of automated trading. Read Full Article here.

Whitman to step down as Third Avenue investment chief: report

Veteran investor Martin Whitman will relinquish his role as Third Avenue Management LLC's co-chief investment officer, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Read Full Article here.