BRUSSELS, July 4, 2008 (AFP) - The European Commission on Friday opened an in-depth antitrust probe into mining giant BHP's hostile takeover of rival Rio Tinto over 'serious doubts' the deal could stifle competition amid soaring commodities prices.

BRUSSELS, July 4, 2008 (AFP) - The European Commission on Friday opened an in-depth antitrust probe into mining giant BHP's hostile takeover of rival Rio Tinto over 'serious doubts' the deal could stifle competition amid soaring commodities prices.

PARIS, July 4, 2008 (AFP) - Credit Mutuel of France has made a firm bid for the German retail banking activities of US giant Citigroup, which operates in Germany under the name Citibank, sources close to the matter said Friday.

PARIS, July 4, 2008 (AFP) - Credit Mutuel of France has made a firm bid for the German retail banking activities of US giant Citigroup, which operates in Germany under the name Citibank, sources close to the matter said Friday.

FRANKFURT, July 4, 2008 (AFP) - German engineering group Bosch unveiled on Friday an offer worth more than one billion euros (1.57 billion dollars) for shares in the solar energy group ersol.

SYDNEY, July 4, 2008 (AFP) - Australia's Origin Energy said Friday it planned to recommended that shareholders reject a 13.8-billion-dollar (13.1 billion US) hostile takeover bid by Britain's BG Group.

NEW YORK, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - Casino and race track operator Penn National Gaming said Thursday it had scrapped plans for an 8.9-billion-dollar takeover from private equity investors after failing to negotiate a lower sales price.

LONDON, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - British mobile phone giant Vodafone said on Thursday it had agreed to buy a 70-percent stake in Ghana Telecommunications for 452 million pounds (566 million euros, 900 million dollars).

Vodafone said in a statement that it would buy the majority stake from the government of Ghana, which will retain a 30-percent holding.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 2, 2008 (AFP) - The US Department of Justice said Wednesday it is scrutinizing a proposed online advertising deal between Google and Yahoo to make certain it doesn't stifle competition.

'We are looking at the competitive effects of the transaction and how it affects consumers,' department spokeswoman Gina Talamona told AFP.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 2, 2008 (AFP) - IBM announced on Wednesday that it has bought Platform Solutions Inc., acquiring its California rival's technology and ending lawsuits which the firms had filed against each other.