HEALTHCARE

Private equity firm TPG Capital is willing to invest about $1 billion in Japan's Olympus Corp in a joint deal with Sony Corp or another suitor circling the scandal-hit firm, a person familiar with TPG's thinking said.

Samsung Electronics ruled out making a bid for the healthcare business of Japan's troubled Olympus Corp on Friday, though a source close to the South Korean firm said it remained open to some form of non-equity partnership.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co is not interested in acquiring the healthcare business of Japan's troubled Olympus, Samsung's chief executive told Reuters on Thursday.

European shares slipped from five-month highs on Wednesday, with Italy's UniCredit leading banks lower after it priced a capital increase at a deep discount, suggesting a weak appetite at a time when several lenders face capital increases.

General Electric Co's healthcare equipment unit paid more than $30 million to settle allegations that a company it bought in 2004 provided false information to overcharge Medicare for a drug used to diagnose heart disease, the Justice Department said.

Millions of medical patients are crossing international borders each year to receive treatment in a growing trend known as medical tourism.

News and information provider Thomson Reuters Corp said it has pulled the sale of its healthcare business, as tough economic conditions made it difficult to fetch a good enough price.

Recently, non-farm employment in New Jersey has been shaky, with employment falling in two of the last three months. Much of the job loss has been in the leisure and hospitality and information sectors, said an economist at Wells Fargo Securities.

General Electric Co and Microsoft Corp are forming a joint venture to develop and sell software systems to make it easier for healthcare providers to store, access and share patient information.

Cisco Systems Inc is stepping up its push to sell its Cius tablet computers to corporate customers, defying skeptics who say the product is short of the sex appeal and brand recognition it would need to win over the workforce.

A new ad from the Ron Paul campaign points out Gingrich's plentiful inconsistencies.

Woodford, who blew the whistle on accounting tricks at Olympus after he was sacked in October, said he was putting together a team of candidates for a new board and talking to shareholders about replacing the current leadership, hopefully by February.

The former chief executive of disgraced Olympus Corp, Michael Woodford, launched a campaign on Thursday to oust the board of directors, reclaim his old job and bring in his own team to save the Japanese firm from a big accounting scandal.

The former chief executive of Japan's disgraced Olympus Corp, Michael Woodford, launched a campaign on Thursday to oust the board of directors, reclaim his old job and install his own team to save the firm from a big accounting scandal.

Dr. Donald Berwick, who was praised for his efforts to reform health care by Republicans such as Newt Gingrich long before he was approached by the Obama administration, was attacked for allegedly favoring health care rationing after being nominated for CMS chief by President Obama in 2010.

Secondary pharmaceutical distributors say a major report that accused them of price gouging -- and as a result, worsening the current U.S. drug shortage -- used exaggerated figures to imply so-called 'gray market' vendors charge exorbitant prices for their products.

India's move to open its supermarket sector to foreign investors brought relief to its capital-starved local chains but failed to impress small-shop owners.

The Ontario government cut its growth, revenue and reserve targets on Wednesday, but said it was still on track to balance the budget in six years, without lowering total program spending or raising taxes.

A worsening economy will hurt Ontario's chances of meeting already long-term plans to balance its budget as it prepares for a fiscal update on Wednesday.

Verizon and unions representing landline employees are working through issues such as job security, healthcare and retirement benefits.

The economic crisis could lead to a rise of drug-related HIV infections across Europe, public health officials warn.