VENTURE CAPITAL POST

In barns filled with classical music and lighting that changes to match the hues outside, rows of chickens are fed a diet rich in probiotics, a regimen designed to remove the need for the drugs and chemicals that have tainted the global food chain.

Prospects for a step-change in global economic growth are better than they have been in many years, but much depends on solid evidence that an awful first quarter for the United States is far in the rear-view mirror.

General Motors Co (GM.N) unveiled the sixth generation of its Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday, upping the ante as Detroit’s muscle cars enjoy a renaissance fueled by cheap oil.

Honda Motor Co (7267.T) on Thursday recalled close to 5 million vehicles fitted with potentially faulty Takata Corp (7312.T) air bag inflators, as investigations showed the problem behind one of the biggest auto safety crises may be more widespread than thought.

A 12-nation Pacific trade agreement cleared a crucial test in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, giving a resounding thumbs-up to legislation that holds the key to President Barack Obama's diplomatic pivot to Asia.

Nissan Motor Co (7201.T), Japan's second-biggest automaker, said it expects operating profit to climb 15 percent this financial year, forecasting vehicle sales growth in most regions and promising large cost cuts.

U.S. retail sales were flat in April as households cut back on purchases of automobiles and other big-ticket items, the latest sign the economy was struggling to rebound strongly after barely growing in the first quarter.

Japan's three biggest carmakers said on Wednesday they would expand a huge global recall triggered by potentially fatal air bags made by Takata Corp, saying they were taking back millions of vehicles worldwide for investigation.

The Federal Reserve drew together extensive plans for handling a U.S. debt default that included scheduling deferred payments and lending cash to investors, according to a top lawmaker who cited Fed documents.

Dutch grocer Ahold (AHLN.AS) and Belgian rival Delhaize (DELB.BR) are exploring a potential tie-up, a source familiar with the matter said, sending their shares soaring, though analysts were split over the merits of any deal.

China's smartphone market has reached saturation, according to a new study by industry analyst IDC that carries potentially significant implications for the global handset industry led by giants like Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS).

China overtook the United States as the world's top importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and its purchases are expected to remain strong despite a slowing economy, with far-reaching consequences for global oil and commodities markets.

With optimism building that the United States is already recovering smartly from another horrible start to the year, focus will shift this week to reports that may show the euro zone is finally shaking off half a decade of torpor.

Japan's Takata Corp (7312.T) said it expects to return to profit this financial year on higher Asian and U.S. sales, but the troubled company made few provisions for possible costs related to a massive global recall of its exploding air bags.

China's Tiens Group Co. Ltd is treating more than half of its 12,000 employees to a four-day holiday in France and has booked up 140 hotels in the capital Paris as part of the package, a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday.