IBT Staff Reporter

Peruvian President Alan Garcia has won over skeptical business leaders and investors during his first year in office, but angry street protests show he has failed to meet the demands of the poor.

Natural and organic food retailer Whole Foods Market Inc. on Friday extended its tender offer for Wild Oats Markets Inc. for a fourth time as it waits for a hearing that will decide if it can go ahead with the deal.

Chrysler Group Chief Executive Tom LaSorda on Friday said that the closing of a $7.4-billion deal for the acquisition of a majority interest in the automaker from German parent DaimlerChrysler AG is 'very, very close.'

The seventh and final Harry Potter book goes on sale at midnight, a publishing milestone that will end months of fevered speculation among fans over the fate of the fictional boy wizard and his wand-wielding friends.

David Daoud ran into trouble when he started using Vista, the new version of Windows that Microsoft Corp. and PC makers have spent millions of dollars advertising since it came out six months ago.

Whirlpool Corp., the world's biggest appliance maker, posted a 77 percent jump in quarterly profit on Friday as improved international results and a lower tax rate helped offset U.S. weakness, but sales missed expectations and its shares fell more than 4 percent.

Shares in handset and appliance maker LG Electronics surged as much as 7.6 percent on Friday, after the South Korean firm reported strong profits while bigger rival Motorola posted another quarterly loss.

Le Parisien has revealed the fates of four of the main protagonists in the final book.

Oil steadied on Friday near $78 a barrel, supported by concern that rising demand will strain supplies already thinned by U.S. refinery glitches and output disruptions in Africa.

The U.S. Senate voted on Friday to cut federal subsidies to college student loan firms, such as Sallie Mae, by $18.3 billion, redirect savings to student grants and ease some student loan repayment terms.

Gold climbed to a new 10-week high on Friday on follow-through buying, supported by a weaker dollar that hovered near a record low against the euro.

Caterpillar Inc., a manufacturer of heavy construction and mining equipment, on Friday said quarterly earnings fell more than expected due to lower sales of diesel truck engines, weakness in North American construction markets, and higher production costs.

Move is one in a series of tightening steps aimed at keeping inflation under control.

Citigroup Inc., the largest U.S. bank, said on Friday that strong international growth fueled a higher-than-expected 18 percent increase in quarterly profit. Revenue rose faster than expenses for a second consecutive quarter, as Chief Executive Charles Prince continued to emphasize controlling costs.

Boston Scientific Corp. posted a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday as sales of its flagship drug-eluting heart stents fell by 32 percent.

Chrysler Group and the United Auto Workers union on Friday mark the formal start of a summer of crucial contract negotiations under intense pressure to break the model of business as usual for Detroit.

Ericsson missed market forecasts for second-quarter earnings as its multimedia drive produced disappointing results and revenue in its key European market stagnated, sending its shares down 5 percent.

Fresh takeover speculation pushed shares in Friends Provident up over 4 percent on Friday, making Britain's smallest bluechip life insurer the top gainer in the FTSE 100.

Sprint Nextel is partnering with Clearwire, a broadband technology company, to build a nationwide WiMax network for cell phones, aiming to take the United States into to 4th generation (4G) wireless technology.

European stocks reversed course after China raised interest rates and corporate earnings disappointed on Friday, while the cost of insuring risky European debt rose on fears for the health of the U.S. credit market.

Great India Place, one of India's biggest shopping malls, gives eager consumers the chance to browse in air-conditioned comfort, scout for global brands and sip cappuccinos after a hard day's shopping.

The world's richest corporations and finest minds spend billions trying to solve the problem of carbon emissions, but three fishing buddies in North Wales believe they have cracked it.

Six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions enter a third day on Friday after envoys settled on a set of tasks the United States said could be carried out this year, rather than a disarmament timetable.

Japan's Nikkei average was nearly flat on Friday with Nippon Steel Corp. and other steel shares advancing following strong output data, but gains were limited as KDDI Corp tumbled on price war fears.

China has cancelled the business licenses of two firms that exported wheat protein tainted with toxic chemicals that wound up in pet food in the United States, a senior quality control official said on Friday.

Undaunted by the odd polonium poisoning, murder plot or diplomatic face-off, Russia's wealthy elite are hungry for the good life in London and there is no sign of their appetite waning.

The United States and India remain divided over a controversial nuclear cooperation agreement despite three days of talks to finally close the deal, a U.S. official said on Thursday.

China National Petroleum Corporation, announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to import 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year for 30 years from Turkmenistan through a planned pipeline.

Web search leader Google Inc. reported on Thursday a 28 percent rise in profits that fell short of consensus expectations, as a recent jump in operating expenses offset market share gains against rivals.