IBT Staff Reporter

Gold climbed to a one-month high in Europe on Friday, extending the previous session's rise, as investors spooked by a raft of disappointing U.S. economic data turned to the metal as a safe store of value.

India will go after any company, including Google, after cracking down on BlackBerry in its quest to keep the world's fastest growing mobile phone market safe from militants and cyber spying, a government source said on Friday.

Former global top gold producer, South Africa's output fell 5,3% in volume terms in June compared with the corresponding month last year. In a statement, Statistics SA said production of nongold minerals and total mineral production both fell 4,9% that month compared with the same month last year.

Gold extended gains in Asian trade Friday after concerns over global economic recovery prompted safe haven buying. Gold for immediate delivery was seen trading at $1215.17 an ounce at 12.00 noon Singapore while US Gold for December delivery was at $1,216.73 an ounce on the comex division of Nymex.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa may meet as early as next week to discuss the yen's strength and possible responses, although likely options are seen as limited.

India may shut down Google and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

India may shut down Google and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

Germany's economy grew 2.2 percent in the second quarter, well above forecast and its biggest gain in 23 years, boding well for a first estimate of euro zone numbers later on Friday.

European stocks rallied on Friday and the euro climbed against the dollar and the yen as investors cheered solid readings of economic growth in euro zone countries and a stellar performance in Germany.

The euro jumped and Asian stocks extended gains on Friday after stunning German data showed Europe's biggest economy grew at its fastest pace in 23 years, alleviating some doubts about the strength of global growth.

The yen inched further away from 15-year peaks on Friday as talk swirled that Japan's authorities may soon intervene to curb it, while Asian stocks edged up to claw back some of the week's heavy losses.

A rare 1794 U.S. silver dollar, one of the first minted in the country, sold for $1,207,500 at a Boston auction, the auctioneers said. Bowers and Merena Auctions of California, which held the auction Saturday at the Park Plaza Hotel and Towers in Boston, said the so-called Flowing Hair silver dollar is considered the fourth finest still in existence. Only about 140 are believed to remain in the world, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has granted Financial Technologies Group's Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) the final approval yesterday to operate as an international commodity and currency derivatives exchange.

The much-hyped plan to reopen Scotland's only gold mine in a national park has hit rough weather with its planning chief saying that the project should be abandoned due to the long-term impact on environment. According to media reports, Scotgold Resources wants to extract 20,000 ounces of gold a year from Cononish, south of Tyndrum, Argyll, which lies about 50 miles north of Glasgow and within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

General Motors Co Chief Executive Ed Whitacre resigned on Thursday in an abrupt shift that came as the automaker hit the homestretch in preparing a stock offering to pay back its controversial bailout.

Blockbuster Inc said it has delayed releasing its second-quarter results until Friday from Thursday.

Hewlett-Packard Co's top lawyer, Mike Holston, came to the company on the wings of a board spying scandal in 2006. He is now at the center of another storm, this time surrounding the ouster of his friend, Chief Executive Mark Hurd.

Dan Akerson arrives at General Motors as CEO with the same mandate given his predecessor just eight months ago: bring new leadership to an automaker still struggling with the legacy of its government bailout.

Oracle Corp on Thursday said it has sued Google Inc, alleging patent and copyright infringement in the development of Android software.

Scientists and environmentalists lambasted the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) on Wednesday for failing to conclude the safety review of many pesticides for as long as 17 years.

Researchers at the United Kingdom's Oxford University and the United States National Institutes of Health (USNIH) have found that stress can prevent women from getting pregnant.

A device that can detect if one has cancer or not through his or her breath alone can now also detect the type of cancer the patient has, according to scientists who developed the breath test.

You may have seen a whole new slew of advertisements online and on television trying to revamp the poor image of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). They are basically trying to promote this junk food additive as healthy.

Don't miss another powder day with an injury or weak legs that can't ski more than a half day!

It was a quiet night for currencies overnight, the AUD grinding higher at one stage, back above USD0.9000.

The Aussie dollar experienced a roller coaster ride over the last 24 hours dropping to 0.8920 in Asia before bouncing back to 90 cents in early Europe only to retest 0.8920 in North American trade overnight.

(Corrects to show Brodsky's cash on hand paragraph 19)

Bank regulators on Thursday pledged an open door policy for carrying out financial reform, also saying they will inform the public of meetings between senior officials and private sector individuals.

India, the world's fastest-growing telecom market, said it would hobble Research In Motion's BlackBerry smartphone unless the company gives it the keys to decode encrypted email and messages by the end of August.