BEIJING, August 6, 2008 (AFP) - German car maker Daimler will sign an agreement for a commercial vehicle joint venture with China's Beiqi Foton Motor Co. on Thursday, the Chinese truck maker said.

TOKYO, July 31, 2008 (AFP) - Japan's TDK Corp. said Thursday it aims to buy German electronics maker Epcos in a friendly takeover worth 1.2 billion euros (1.87 billion dollars) to boost its global competitiveness.

MONTREAL, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - Canadian mining giant Teck Cominco announced Tuesday it had launched a takeover bid, priced at 14.1 billion US dollars, for coal group Fording Canadian Coal Trust.

Teck Cominco said in a statement that Fording's key asset is represented by its 60 percent non-operating stake in the Elk Valley Coal Partnership.

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - US satellite radio giants Sirius and XM completed their merger Tuesday after winning a lengthy battle with regulators over concerns about market competition.

The new company formed by Sirius Satellite Radio's buyout of XM Satellite Radio, will be called Sirius XM Radio Inc.

SHANGHAI, July 27, 2008 (AFP) - Beijing's anti-monopoly act takes effect this week but its introduction, which experts say will change how business is done in China more than any other recent law, remains surrounded by confusion.

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2008 (AFP) - US regulators formally approved the long-delayed billion-dollar merger of the nation's only two satellite radio companies, combining Sirius and XM to a single network with 18 million subscribers, media reported Saturday.

SAO PAULO, July 21, 2008 (AFP) - The value of mergers and acquisitions in Brazil, one of the world's top emerging economies, has dropped 26 percent so far this year compared to the first half of 2007, a study by the Deloitte firm published Monday showed.

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2008 (AFP) - NBC Universal television said Sunday it had acquired The Weather Channel, without indicating the price.

The Wall Street Journal, on announcing the imminent purchase, recently valued the transaction at around 3.5 billion dollars.

LONDON, June 30, 2008 (AFP) - Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, the biggest shareholder in Arcelor Mittal, is considering entering the takeover battle for Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, the Financial Times reported Monday.

Citing unnamed individuals familiar with the matter, the business daily said that Mittal was interested in securing larger supplies of iron ore.

NEW YORK, June 4, 2008 (AFP) - Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble said Wednesday it was spinning off its Folgers coffee business into JM Smucker Co. in a 3.3 billion dollar deal that leaves P&G with 53 percent of the new business.

The new company will includes a range of Folgers products including coffee and food and Smucker's line of jams and related food items.