IBT Staff Reporter

Water firm AWG said on Monday it has agreed a 2.2 billion pound takeover offer from Osprey, an investment group including Canadian, Australian and British firms.

Get ready for the bells and whistles - the Howard government is planning a $20 million advertising blitz to sell its Telstra float.

Fresh fruit producer Chiquita Brands South Pacific Ltd has rejected an increased takeover bid by Tradefresh Pty Ltd, saying it still undervalues the business.

Federal ministers Amanda Vanstone and Kevin Andrews are at odds over plans by American Express to have Japanese workers take jobs at a Sydney call centre.

Macquarie Bank will invest $US150 million ($200 million) for a minority stake in the aircraft leasing arm of New York listed transport group GATX Corporation.

As more and more people turn to the Internet to pay bills and shop for goods and services, Dutch financial services group ING has carved out a lead in what was once considered the most elusive of online services: banking.

AWB could face terrorism-related charges amid claims some of its staff knew money being funnelled to Saddam Hussein's government could have been funding atrocities against his own people.

India has awarded coal bed methane gas blocks to firms including British oil major BP Plc, Australia's Arrow Energy and India's Reliance Energy Ltd and Tata Power Co Ltd.

Fitch Ratings agency has affirmed its ratings for Australia and says its outlook is stable.

An investment group is expected to announce Monday that it has struck a deal to buy British water utility AWG PLC for about $4.12 billion (2.2 billion pounds), a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Sunday.

China Network Systems, Taiwan's largest cable TV operator, has decided to sell itself to MBK Partners, in a deal expected to fetch up to $1.6 billion, according to media reports on Monday.

Top women executives do slightly better at U.S.-based healthcare and pharmaceutical companies than in other industries, but 35 percent of big drug companies do not have a single female director, according to a new survey.

The dollar hit a 5- month high against the yen on Monday as investors dumped the Japanese currency after it failed to hold on to gains following the BOJ tankan survey, which showed confidence at big manufacturers hitting a two-year high.

European aerospace group EADS will unveil restructuring measures aimed at saving 2 billion euros ($2.53 billion) a year this week after new delays in deliveries of its A380 superjumbo, financial daily Les Echos reported, without quoting sources.

Changes could be coming for retailers like Gap Inc. and Pier 1 Imports Inc. that have struggled with falling same-store sales, while other retailers, like jeweler Zale Corp. will be watched to see if they can rebound from missteps during last year's holidays.

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who arrived in South Africa on Saturday, will, during his four-day visit, discuss major UN reforms with the South African President Thabo Mbeki, besides signing a number of bilateral agreements on a wide range of subjects including one on preferential trade, investment and energy cooperation.

India has surged ahead in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2006 index of world's most competitive economies, leaving behind nations like China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa and Kuwait.

This week, Dell introduced free recycling program for its U.S customers, offering a way for users to easily and safely get rid of their older Dell systems.

This week, graphics chip company Nvidia announced that it will deliver chips for HP's upcoming notebook and media-center computers.

Earlier this week Apple Computer released the latest iteration of its post-production photography software, Aperture 1.5 to retail consumers, but on Friday, the firm announced that the tool will be available for download as well.

United Nations economists predict Thailand's economy can grow, stating that gross domestic product has the potential to reach 4.7 percent next year provided the new government maintains stability.

Imagine your car warning you of an icy road ahead, reading aloud the text messages arriving on your phone and sending you an e-mail that your fuel pump needs replacing soon.

Most forms of Internet gambling would be banned under a bill that received final U.S. congressional approval early Saturday.

A lawsuit brought by victims of suicide bombings in Israel, alleging that British bank NatWest knowingly provided services to a charity linked to militant Islamic group Hamas

Eaton Corp. on Friday said it plans to close plants in the United Kingdom, Spain and in the United States, cutting about 730 jobs and incurring third quarter costs of about $50 million.

Citigroup Inc. has all but ended talks to purchase assets or a stake in stricken hedge fund manager Amaranth Advisors LLC, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday, making the chances more remote that the fund will survive. Citi held talks this week that could have kept afloat the hedge fund, which lost more than $6 billion in investments recently.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law on Friday making it a crime to buy telephone records or obtain them through deceit, an issue that has become important amid a furor over Hewlett-Packard Co.'s attempts to track down boardroom leaks to the press.

The dollar rose against major currencies on Friday as a slew of economic data eased investors' concerns about a sharp slowdown in the U.S. economy.

U.S. stocks may test record highs next week as muted oil prices take center stage. But the September jobs report on Friday could keep traders cautious and upend a rally.