China's securities regulator could streamline its approvals process for some initial public offerings by next January, the regulator said on Saturday, mapping out reform measures.

Amazon.com Inc has no intention of bowing to pressure from striking workers in Germany and is more worried about bad weather hurting Christmas deliveries, its country head said.

Finnish stainless steel maker Outokumpu said it planned to raise 650 million euros ($885 million) through a rights issue and divest assets back to ThyssenKrupp as it looks shore up its finances.

Italian state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) expects to cash in around 3 billion euros ($4.1 billion) by June 2014 from the sale of minority stakes in gas and power grid networks, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

British insurer Aviva Plc and Turkey's Sabanci Holding have mandated Citigroup and HSBC to sell between 20 and 25 percent of Turkish life and pensions joint venture Avivasa Emeklilik & Hayat Sigorta in an initial public offering, two sources told Reuters on Friday.

British media and education group Pearson has agreed to sell its Mergermarket news service for 382 million pounds ($624 million), to invest in its global education business.

Credit Suisse is promoting veteran Swiss investment banker Thomas Gottstein to head up its ultra-rich clients business in Switzerland, highlighting the expertise increasingly sought by private banks to cater to their wealthiest customers.

Jeweller John Hardy is attracting bid interest from a string of U.S. private equity firms, sources close to the matter said, the latest potential deal in a sector outpacing the broader luxury industry thanks in part to financially independent Asian women.

U.S. hedge fund Cerberus has bought a 1 billion euro ($1.4 billion) book of commercial real estate loans from Lloyds Banking Group at a 21 percent discount to their nominal value, the UK bank said on Friday.

Atrium Innovations Inc said a group of investors, including European private equity firm Permira funds, would buy the dietary supplements maker for about C$751.2 million.

A major index of world equities rose to near a six-year high on Friday, helped by gains in U.S. stocks, on faith in an improving global economy and support from central banks, while U.S. crude oil rebounded from recent declines.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) said it will consider increasing its stake in GrainCorp after its takeover bid for the grain handler was rejected by the Australian Treasurer on Friday.

A store manager of a Pizza Hut franchise in Indiana is mulling over a rehire offer from the worldwide pizza chain after he was fired for refusing to open the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day.

Australia rejected the A$2.8 billion takeover of GrainCorp by U.S. agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) on Friday, saying the deal was contrary to the national interests.

Christer Gardell, who co-founded Europe's biggest activist investor Cevian Capital, expects a burst of activity in mergers and acquisitions next year as corporate confidence returns.

Crowds braved the cold for the 87th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday, cheering on marching bands, cheerleaders and their favorite balloons including Snoopy, Spiderman and Spongebob Sqaurepants.

India's finance ministry is resisting pressure from other departments to cap foreign ownership of domestic drugmakers, fearing such a move would discourage potential investors, a senior ministry source said.

Turkish mobile phone company Turkcell has taken to a South African court its $4.2 billion lawsuit against rival MTN Group, alleging it was the victim of "corruption and bribery" that caused it to lose a contract in Iran.

The U.S. Justice Department is probing Morgan Stanley for its hiring practices in China. The move comes as U.S. authorities expand their investigation into whether banks' hiring of politically connected Chinese employees may have breached U.S. bribery laws.

Royal Bank of Scotland said it sold its remaining stake of about 20 percent in WorldPay to the payment processing firm's majority shareholders, private equity firms Advent International and Bain Capital.

Privately held Cox Communications is considering bidding for Time Warner Cable either on its own or as part of a joint bid, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.

German healthcare group Merc is looking for acquisitions and collaborations with start-ups to grow its drugs business in the United States, a senior Merck official said.

Private equity firm TPG has asked a specialised Dutch court to order an inquiry into the affairs of Strauss Coffee, in which it holds a 25 percent stake, claiming majority owner Strauss Group had abused its rights in the company.

YuanShengTai Dairy Farm, China's fourth biggest raw milk producer, is set to fall on its Hong Kong trading debut on Tuesday, after raising $425 million in the second initial public offering by a dairy company in the city in two months.

Russia's state-backed private equity investment fund and Italy's strategic state investment fund have agreed a deal to invest up to 1 billion euros ($1.35 billion) in companies and projects in the two countries, officials said on Monday.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has bought a small package of loans from Spain's so-called 'bad bank' Sareb, helping the vehicle to surpass year-end sales targets, two sources familiar with the situation said on Monday.

The potential merger between the California-based Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in New York would have created the ninth-largest firm in the country.

Carlyle Group LP said on Monday it has finished raising money for its latest U.S. private equity fund, surpassing its initial $10 billion fundraising target by $3 billion.

HarbourVest Partners and Dubai-based private equity firm Lagoon Capital have teamed up to scout for secondary market private equity deals in the Middle East and North Africa.

China Cinda Asset Management Corp, one of China's four bad loan managers, is seeking up to $2.5 billion in an initial public offering in Hong Kong attracting global investors like Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC and Norway's sovereign wealth fund.