UNITED KINGDOM

HSBC Holdings Plc <0005.HK> has launched the sale of its non-life insurance business, sources told Reuters on Monday, a global division worth about $1 billion and now part of the bank's plan to strip away non-core units.

Stock futures pointed to sharp falls for equities on Monday after tumbling in the previous session following the resignation of a top official at the European Central Bank, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 1.6 to 1.9 percent.

Britain's banks should shield their retail operations from riskier investment banking units and boost capital levels to protect taxpayers from future crises, according to far-reaching proposals that could cost the industry 7 billion pounds ($11 billion) a year.

Near the peak of General Motors Co's financial crisis, Opel workers laid a coffin at the feet of the brand's founder Adam Opel to mark what they considered the death of the brand.

Verizon Communications has dashed the hopes of Vodafone investors by ruling out a return to a recurring dividend from the two companies' mobile phone joint venture, called Verizon Wireless, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

A defunct NASA satellite is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere by early October, sparking concerns that some debris might shower down on populated areas.

By covering community-based weight loss programs for people who are at risk of developing diabetes and heart disease, Medicare could save up to $15 billion in the next decade.

Europe could agree to broad changes to existing legislation within a year or two that would pave the way for greater fiscal integration of members of the euro zone, British finance minister George Osborne said.

Former BP boss Tony Hayward is considering whether to step down from the board of Russian oil joint venture TNK-BP but has yet to inform the British oil company of any decision, a spokesman for the company said.

Russia's embassy in London said on Sunday its website crashed in a suspected hacking attack just before Prime Minister David Cameron begins the first visit by a British leader to Moscow since the 2006 killing in London of a Kremlin critic.

Former BP boss Tony Hayward is to resign from the board of Russian oil joint venture TNK-BP after announcing his return to the oil business with a new major deal, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported.

Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal will meet in the U.S. Open final for the second year in a row after winning their semi-finals on a day of unrelenting drama and precision tennis at Flushing Meadows Saturday.

Emma Watson is so deeply in love with American boyfriend Johnny Simmons that she wasted no time in asking her boyfriend to shift Britain with her.

Vodafone has released a product listing where it has confirmed that Apple’s upcoming smartphone will arrive in both 16 and 32 GB.

Jewelry company Richline International, part of billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway , will buy its fifth small Italian jewelry brand as it plans to expand further in Italy.

The 6.5 ton falling NASA satellite will hit earth’s atmosphere by early October filling a 500-mile-wide range of land in Britain, Europe, northern Canada and southern South America and three oceans with its remains.

Defending champion Rafa Nadal routed former winner Andy Roddick 6-2 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open.

Europe knows it must do more to persuade financial markets it is coming to grips with its debt problems but there is no question it has the financial firepower to do so, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

Following are highlight quotes from Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Marseille.

Cameron is expected to confer with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev as well as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

A defunct 7-ton research satellite is falling in the direction of earth and has the potential of raining debris on densely populated areas including Britain, NASA reports.