IBT Staff Reporter

China will invest around $5 billion in energy projects in Venezuela by 2012 as part of a plan to boost Venezuela's oil output, the South American country's energy minister told state television on Monday.

The chief U.S. Treasury spokesman repeated standing policy on Monday that international currency markets should determine foreign exchange values.

Apple computer paid $100 million last week to settle a lawsuit where Creative Technology claimed that Apple's iPod music player infringed on Creative's patents.

Anglo-Dutch consumer products group Unilever NV/Plc said on Monday it agreed to sell the bulk of its frozen foods business to private equity group Permira Funds for 1.725 billion euros ($2.2 billion).

Google Inc. is making its most concerted move beyond search and advertising into the business software market, starting with a set of Web programs for e-mail, scheduling and communications, the company said on Sunday.

U.S. Treasuries slipped slightly in Asia trade on Monday, pulling benchmark yields up from five-month lows, as many investors sat tight before a slew of data and speeches from Federal Reserve officials.

Central bankers and top academics departed here on Sunday after two days of discussions on how the global economic landscape is shifting.

With soaring gas prices making alternative fuels more attractive, ethanol - a grain alcohol made from a variety of crops including corn, sugarcane, barley and wheat - has become a popular alternative.

Tax law may need strengthening to curb abuses in executive stock option compensation, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee said on Friday.

In the spring, music executives at the E3 videogame convention predicted music would take on a greater future role as the game market grows more sophisticated. This fall, that prediction seems poised to become reality.

Government data and forecasts by companies are downbeat, and the sector has had a speculative, bubble-like growth which will take years to unwind, some investors said.

Wall Street's summer comes to a close next week with what could be a toxic mix for stocks: No major earnings, an overload of A-list economic data, a storm headed for the Gulf of Mexico and trading desks staffed with third-string dealers.

None of the options Ford Motor Co. may be considering - selling off its luxury brands, creating global alliances, taking itself private - would do much to solve the struggling automaker's basic problems, analysts said.

U.S. stocks edged higher on Thursday, with the S&P 500 getting a lift from the oil sector, but data showing a slowdown in new home sales hurt the shares of retailers and industrial companies.

Shares of Sony Corp. fell as much as 3 percent to a one-month low on Friday after Apple Computer Inc. said it would recall 1.8 million PC batteries, the second major recall involving Sony-made battery cells in 10 days.

Cellular telephones and wireless BlackBerry email devices may be addictive, but most business executives insist mobile technology has improved the balance between their work and home, a study said on Thursday.

Apple Computer Inc. will recall 1.8 million lithium-ion notebook PC batteries after nine overheated, the second major recall in the past 10 days involving battery cells made by Sony Corp..

Rising oil prices lifted European energy stocks on Friday while most financial markets were focused on an upcoming speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Britain's FTSE 100 index edged higher on Friday, led by mining companies as metal prices firmed and by banks on bid talk surrounding the sector.

David Olson peers at a 16-acre plot of tobacco on his southern Wisconsin farm and sees a healthy crop ready for harvest in a few weeks. He also sees an opportunity.

The silver market is raising its profile via an exchange-traded fund (ETF) set up four months ago, and some analysts say silver prices may rise faster than gold in the long term.

Ask graphic designer Parker Weintz the time and he doesn't look to his wrist, he pulls a cell phone out of his pocket - and he's not alone. NEW YORK

The explosion in online music sales is set to continue and will start to halt the decline in overall sales of recorded music in Europe, but not until 2010, according to a report on Thursday.

Congress may have declined to enact sweeping estate-tax cuts, but a new law contains important income-tax relief for many heirs.

Auto insurance rates vary enormously from company to company for the exact same car and person, just based on the insurer's own experience. So the easiest way to lower your auto insurance rate is to shop around and see what other companies are offering. You may be able to cut your premiums by hundreds of dollars just by switching companies.

Apple Computer Inc. will recall 1.8 million lithium-ion notebook batteries after nine devices overheated, causing minor burns in two users, U.S. safety regulators said on Thursday.

New orders for U.S.-made durable goods excluding the volatile transportation sector rose more than expected in July and the number of workers seeking jobless benefits fell slightly last week, government reports showed on Thursday.

Singapore-based Creative Technology Ltd., the maker of Nomad and Zen MP3 players, said on Thursday that an agreement with Apple Computer Inc. to make accessories for the iPod would boost its sales from the October-December quarter.

Time Warner Inc.'s AOL said on Thursday it will offer movies from four major Hollywood studios for downloading on its new Internet video service.