VENTURE CAPITAL POST

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.

U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Motors (TSLA.O) said on Friday that it would partner with China's No.2 mobile carrier China Unicom (0762.HK) to build charging outlets across the country to push sales in the world's biggest auto market.

Bitcoin is catching on at U.S. online merchants including Overstock.com and Expedia, as customers use a digital currency that just a few years ago was virtually unknown but is now showing some staying power.

Shares in British online fashion retailer ASOS (ASOS.L), which have fallen sharply in recent months after profit warnings and a warehouse fire, jumped on Wednesday on an unconfirmed report of a U.S. bid for a stake in the business.