VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The second quarter for Japanese automobile majors is expected to be positive as the sales surged in the US market. Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor Co and Honda Motor Co. registered a rise in sales volume in the North American market during July to September. Investors are closely monitoring the forecasts about vehicle sales to ascertain the possible outcome from the third quarter results. The US and China markets account for one-third of global sales for the top three Japanese automobile companies. The rise in US sales and weaker Yen may add to profits for the Japanese automobile majors during the quarter.

After five years of negotiations, 12 Pacific nations are about to conclude on a free trade agreement (FTA) as these countries have arrived on an understanding on Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deciding monopoly on new biotech drugs.

The latest outcome of the two-day meeting between the US and Cuba held in Havana has paved the way for reviving the airline service between the both the nations. The commercial airline services between both the nations have been suspended for a long time. The agreement on restoring the airline service is expected to be complete this year. The officials from both the countries have decided to meet again before December. The follow-up meeting is expected to be held in Washington.

Italian prosecutors have wrapped up an investigation into allegations U.S. tech giant Apple (AAPL.O) failed to pay corporate taxes to the tune of 879 million euros ($964 million), two sources said on Monday.

Lifting a 40-year-old U.S. ban on crude exports would create a wide range of jobs in the oil drilling supply chain and broader economy even in states that produce little or no oil, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The $71 billion cybersecurity industry is fragmenting along geopolitical lines as firms chase after government contracts, share information with spy agencies, and market themselves as protectors against attacks by other nations.

Gap Inc (GPS.N) has struck a deal with Europe's largest dedicated online fashion retailer Zalando (ZALG.DE) to sell its core brand from next May, hoping to reach more consumers, particularly in markets where it has no physical stores.

U.S. automotive parts maker Visteon Corp (VC.N) has signed a preliminary deal to sell its controlling stake in South Korea's Halla Visteon Climate Control Corp (018880.KS) to a local private equity firm for $3.6 billion, Korean media reports said.

A U.S. judge on Friday gave final approval to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) agreement to pay $450 million to resolve claims it harmed consumers by conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices.

Alibaba Group Holding (BABA.N) sold the largest bond by an Asian company last night via a $8 billion six-tranche offering. The tight pricing achieved on the deal led many to believe the US-listed Chinese ecommerce giant got away without paying a Chinese premium.

EU antitrust regulators will open an extensive probe into Zimmer's (ZMH.N) $13.4 billion bid for Biomet, concerned that the creation of the world's second-largest orthopedic products group may hurt competition, three people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Blackstone Group L.P. (BX.N) has agreed to buy a stake in China's Xinrong Best Medical Instrument Co, the U.S. private equity firm said in a statement on Tuesday. Blackstone did not give the size of the stake or other financial details.

Global Cash Access Holdings Inc (GCA.N), which provides cash services to casinos, said it would buy slot machine maker Multimedia Games Holding Co Inc (MGAM.O) for about $1.2 billion to strengthen its gaming business.

Factory activity in Europe and Asia cooled in August after a strong July, as new orders dwindled in the face of escalating tensions in Ukraine and a patchy recovery in China, purchasing managers indexes showed.

Japan's SoftBank Corp and its U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Corp will offer a Sony smartphone for the first time, sources with knowledge of the matter said, as the two technology titans confront daunting challenges in the U.S. market.