NEW YORK (Reuters) - As U.S. stocks scale fresh record highs, investors are trying to gauge whether next year's projected profit rebound will be strong enough to add fuel to the rally.

(Reuters) - S&P Global Inc is in advanced talks to buy London-based IHS Markit Ltd for about $44 billion in a deal that would combine two major data providers, the Wall Street Journal reported https://www.wsj.com/articles/s-p-global-in-advanced-talks-to-buy-ihs-markit-for-about-44-billion-11606697244?mod=latest—headlines on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - World shares paused to assess a record-busting month on Monday as the prospect of a vaccine-driven economic recovery next year and yet more free money from central banks eclipsed concerns about the coronavirus pandemic in the near-term.

(Reuters) - The European Union is seeking to forge a new alliance with the United States to bury the tensions of the Trump era and meet the challenges posed by China, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing a draft plan.

MELBOURNE/JOHANNESBERG (Reuters) - Rio Tinto will look to a handful of external candidates in a narrowing field for its new chief executive, as the miner tries to win back investors dismayed by the blasting of an ancient Australian rock shelter, bankers and investors say.

LONDON (Reuters) - British telecommunications firms must not install new Huawei 5G kit after September 2021, the government said on Monday, as part of a plan to purge the Chinese firm's equipment from high speed mobile networks.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell about 1% on Monday amid investor jitters ahead of an OPEC+ meeting to decide whether the producers' group will extend large output cuts to balance global markets.

MILAN (Reuters) - UniCredit's board was holding informal discussions over the Italian bank's governance on Sunday, a person familiar with the matter said, amid doubts over whether its chief executive will stay.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Trade union Verdi on Sunday called on workers at a German Amazon warehouse to strike for the second time in a week to disrupt the processing of orders following the 'Black Friday' discount shopping sales on Nov. 27.