China, the world’s biggest electricity consumer, is figuring out how to capture a larger share of the solar-energy market without losing money. The government will spend at least a year studying Europe’s system of paying above-market prices for solar power before deciding if there’s a better way to spur clean-energy plants across China, said Wu Dacheng, an adviser to national power regulators. The

Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s largest automaker, plans to cut its board to at least 17 members from the current 27 to improve decision-making after a series of product recalls in its biggest management reorganization in 8 years, two people familiar with the company’s plan said. Toyota currently has 27 directors, including the chairman, president, six executive vice presidents and 15 senior manag

General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, which each received government-funded bailouts, may award some managers bonuses of as much as 50 percent of their salary, said four people familiar with the plans. GM plans to pay bonuses to most managers equal to 15 percent to 20 percent of their annual salary and as high as 50 percent to less than 1 percent of its 26,000 U.S. salaried employees, said on

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The IMF ignored warnings about the financial crisis from its own top economist and acted like cheerleader for the U.S. economy rather than monitoring it, according to a scathing watchdog report published on Wednesday.The International Monetary Fund “failed to highlight the relevant vulnerabilities” in the U.S. financial system in the run up to the 2008 crisis, according to a 51-

BRUSSELS (AFP) ― Leaders of the 17-nation eurozone are to hold a special summit in mid-March to draft a plan of action to avoid a replay of the debt crises that shook the single currency last year.The 17 heads of state and government will meet in “mid-March,” the president of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, said in a speech to the European parliament.Earlier a source close to the talks told AFP that the eurozone summit had been agreed for Sunday, March 13. But a major member state later i

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Google’s Android surged past Apple’s iPhone last quarter and is closing in on the Blackberry as the most popular smartphone platform in the United States, market tracking firm comScore said Monday.According to comScore, 63.2 million Americans owned smartphones at the end of December, up 60 percent from a year earlier. An Apple Inc. iPhone 4 (front) and a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

MS CEO reportedly planning management reshuffle for tech expertiseMicrosoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer plans to extend a management reshuffling aimed at adding senior product executives with an engineering background, two people with knowledge of the decision said.Changes may be announced this month, said one of the people, who declined to be named because the plans are private. L

Facebook Inc. may never overtake Mixi Inc. in Japan as the lure of connecting with friends overseas isn’t enough for users to switch services, according to the U.S. social-networking site’s biggest games developer.Japan “is one place where Facebook may not end up being dominant,” Robert Goldberg, head of Zynga Game Network Inc.’s operations in the country, said in an interview in Tokyo last week.

BHP Billiton Ltd., Vale SA and Rio Tinto Group, the world’s three largest mining companies, are set for record profit totaling $52 billion as they accelerate earnings growth at the expense of their biggest customers.The companies, also the largest iron-ore exporters, may post an average 66 percent jump in the annual earnings they report this year compared with 2007, according to analyst estimates

Humbled and attacked on all sides, Wal-Mart seeks comeback from missteps that hurt salesSADDLE BROOK, New Jersey (AP) ― The battle for shoppers is playing out in this New York suburb: Wal-Mart versus everyone else.Dollar stores beckon, their small size ideal for quick shopping. Target offers 5 percent off if you pay with its store-branded card. Costco tempts with high-end, brand-name food and desi

Nippon Steel Corp. and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.’s plan to create the world’s second-largest steelmaker is aimed at gaining leverage over raw-material purchases and metal pricing as costs soar. Shares in both companies surged the most in more than two years Friday. Based on Sumitomo’s market value and net debt, the deal would be worth more than 2 trillion yen ($24.5 billion), according to dat

SHANGHAI (AFP) ― China price regulators are seeking to fine French retail giant Carrefour 2.5 million yuan ($380,000) ― the maximum fine for overcharging customers, state media reported Sunday.Municipal regulators fined three Carrefour stores in Shanghai and two in southwest China’s Yunnan province 500,000 yuan each on Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency reported.However, the final fine will

Japan’s industrial production increased the most in 11 months in December, boosted by overseas demand that’s spurring the nation’s recovery. Factory output climbed 3.1 percent from November, when it rose 1 percent, the Trade Ministry said in Tokyo Monday. The median estimate of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 2.8 percent gain. Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are among compa

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― From star-gazing iPad applications to crystal-encrusted iPhone cases, a universe of products spun off of Apple gadgets flourished at Macworld Expo despite the absence of the sun around which they revolve.Attendance was on track to hit 25,000 by the time the annual gathering of Apple faithful ends on Saturday.The crowd was down from the 40,000 to 50,000 people seen in years when Apple took part and chief executive Steve Jobs starred in presentations that included unveiling h

DUBLIN (AFP) ― Ireland’s upper house of parliament passed Saturday a key finance bill needed to secure the country’s bailout package, paving the way for embattled Prime Minister Brian Cowen to call elections.The budget, which hikes taxes and slashes spending as part of the price for the 67.5 billion euro ($91 billion) European Union-International Monetary Fund bailout, had already passed the lower

Facebook Inc.’s valuation topped Amazon.com Inc., leaving the social-networking company behind only Google Inc. among U.S. Internet companies. Facebook is valued at $82.9 billion on secondary exchange SharesPost Inc. and has jumped by more than 40 percent since mid-December. Amazon shares dropped 7.2 percent Friday after a disappointing sales forecast, pushing its stock market value down to $77.2

Japanese company sells 8.4m cars in 2010 despite recallsTOKYO (AFP) ― Toyota said Monday its group sales in 2010 rose, enabling the firm to narrowly retain its title as the world’s biggest automaker despite a global safety crisis that damaged its brand image.But analysts warn that after a year that saw the recall of millions of vehicles, a wave of lawsuits and record fines, the company is likely to soon surrender that lead as it battles to regain consumer trust overseas.In 2008 Toyota ended Gene

GENEVA (AFP) ― The International Labor Organization warned that the global economic recovery was not translating into jobs as world unemployment remained at a record 205 million for 2010.“Despite a sharp rebound in economic growth for many countries, official global unemployment stood at 205 million in 2010, essentially unchanged from 2009, and 27.6 million more than on the eve of the global econo

Central bank keeps key rate between zero and 0.1%The Bank of Japan raised its growth forecasts for the year through March as strong overseas demand supports the economy. Policy makers predicted an expansion of 3.3 percent for the 2010 fiscal year, compared with the 2.1 percent estimated in October, the central bank said in a statement Tuesday in Tokyo. The BOJ also held the key interest rate betwe

NEW YORK (AP) ― The news last week that Apple’s Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence was a big story. But something else about the company got far less attention and could be even more important to investors this year.Corporations “are adding iPads to their approved device list at an amazing rate,” Peter Oppenheimer, Apple Inc.’s chief financial officer, told analysts Tuesday. Apple’s products,