Shift from GM to Fiat, VW may boost Johnson

Johnson Controls Inc, the world's largest maker of car batteries and seats, may boost earnings for an 18th straight year in 2008 by relying on orders from Fiat SpA and Volkswagen AG rather than General Motors Corp.

Samsung to fork out $2.4b over failed auto business

A South Korean court ruled yesterday that Samsung Group companies and its chairman pay creditors of its failed carmaking business $2.4 billion.

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Business International

UK government seeks powers to seize failing lenders

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government proposed measures to allow UK authorities power to seize control and transfer accounts from failing banks to another lender.

Hedge fund fraudster gets 20 years in jail

Daniel Marino, the former finance chief of the bankrupt hedge-fund firm Bayou Group LLC, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for defrauding investors of more than $400 million.

Kerviel: SocGen was complacent on trades

Jerome Kerviel, the Societe Generale trader whose unauthorized bets led to the biggest trading loss in history, told prosecutors the bank cast a "complacent look" on his practices.

UBS reports record loss

UBS AG, Europe's largest bank by assets, reported a record loss after about $14 billion of writedowns on assets infected by subprime mortgages in the United States.

Rogue traders are nothing more than lovable rogues

In the days since Jerome Kerviel was hauled before his bosses at Societe Generale SA to explain his trading positions, he must have had some dark moments of the soul.

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Stocks up amid expectations of further Fed cut

Stocks advanced in Europe and Asia, led by industrial and mining shares, on speculation the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to spur economic growth and JPMorgan Chase & Co recommended buying equities.

A&L secures funding to get through '08

UK bank Alliance & Leicester (A&L) said it had secured funding to see it through this year but warned that profits would plunge after it trebled the impact of its losses on complex financial instruments.