SETTLEMENT

Israel's Defense Ministry said Monday it had approved construction of 50 new homes at a West Bank settlement as part of a plan for 1,450 housing units, an expansion that defies a U.S. call for a settlement freeze.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he hoped to reach an understanding with Washington over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, but an Israeli official predicted the dispute would be hard to resolve.

A U.S. judge on Tuesday approved a legal settlement requiring a unit of Banco Santander SA , which fed billions to New York financier Bernard Madoff before his swindle was revealed, to pay $235 million.

Belgian-based financial group Fortis said on Monday it faces a legal claim for 362.5 million euros ($506 million) from a former unit now owned by the Dutch state.

The Amsterdam Court of Appeals on Friday ordered Royal Dutch Shell Plc to pay the largest securities fraud settlement ever in Europe to shareholders from claims relating to the oil giant's inflation of its proven oil and gas reserves during the years 1997 through 2003.

- A U.S. judge has given final approval to $695 million in settlements to shareholders suing Qwest Communications International Inc for securities fraud.

The United States wants Israel to stop expanding Jewish settlements without exception, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday, promising that Washington would push this point with its ally.

On a hillside neighborhood in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, workers construct a foundation that will expand a building toward a nearby playground.

U.S. crude for June rose above $60 a barrel ahead of expiry on Tuesday, extending gains from a six-month high settlement a day earlier amid supply concerns over Nigeria and a U.S. refinery.

Oil prices steadied around $59 a barrel on Tuesday after settling a day earlier at a six-month high on supply concerns from Nigeria and a key U.S. refinery, as investors looked to equities and the dollar for further cues.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Israel on Monday to fundamentally change its policies on settlements and prove its commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Skeptical library groups asked on Monday for rigorous oversight of Google's agreement with authors and publishers that would allow it to put millions of books online.

Oil fell to around $54 a barrel on Tuesday as forecasts that U.S. crude inventories probably rose from their highest level in almost two decades countered optimism about economic recovery.

Cell phone chip supplier Qualcomm Inc raised its full-year revenue target after quarterly revenue beat expectations, saying global demand for advanced phones was strong, especially in Europe and China.

Cell phone chip supplier Qualcomm Inc flipped to a loss for its fiscal second quarter, hurt by investment losses and hefty costs related to its legal settlement with archrival Broadcom Corp .

Cell phone chip supplier Qualcomm Inc flipped to a loss for its fiscal second quarter, hurt by investment losses and hefty costs related to its legal settlement with arch-rival Broadcom Corp .

The Bank of New York Mellon said on Tuesday it will meet with the Russian government to discuss settlement of a $22.5 billion lawsuit Russia has leveled against it.

Facebook Inc. has estimated its market value to be worth about $3.7 billion according to a lawsuit brought by former classmates of CEO Mark Zuckerberg last summer.

The Watchmen lawsuit over the movie's distribution rights has been dragged nearly yearlong and is costing Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fess and according to those familiar with the dealmaking say both companies are close to reaching a settlement, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

A top leader of Palestinian paramilitary group Hamas said Saturday the war in Gaza has killed the last chance for settlement and negotiations with Israel.

MasterCard Inc will pay American Express Co. up to $1.8 billion in a settlement that drops a lawsuit alleging that MasterCard had illegally blocked financial firms from providing American Express cards.