Magna International, Canada's biggest car parts manufacturer, has said it will invest between $400 million to $600 million in two new plants to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for electric cars.  The company is said to be scouting locations for the plants, one of which will be in the US and the other in Europe. About $200 million to $300 million will be spent on each plant.

A consortium of coal miners has bid A$4.8 billion (approximately Ôé¼3.2 billion) for AustraliaÔÇÖs biggest coal railroad in an attempt to see off the governmentÔÇÖs planned IPO of the track network and coal haulage business.

Ford has announced it is investing $135 million to bring battery pack and hybrid vehicle transmission production to Michigan, creating new jobs at three facilities.  The new jobs will form part of FordÔÇÖs strategy to introduce two electric vehicles and three new hybrids to the market by 2012.

The UKÔÇÖs Bristol Airport has been given the go-ahead for expansion, which will enable it to significantly increase the number of passengers it handles.

Toyota has agreed to invest $50 million in Tesla, the niche US builder of battery-powered sports cars, it has been announced.

Gold Fields, AfricaÔÇÖs second-biggest gold producer, has said it may dig a new mine in Mali to expand its annual West African production to one million ounces.

Abbott Laboratories has signed an agreement with IndiaÔÇÖs Piramal Healthcare to buy its Healthcare Solutions business, a branded generics maker, it has been announced.

Vodafone Group is reportedly in talks to sell its 55 per cent stake in Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications Co., for an estimated £3 billion.

South Korean sovereign wealth fund Korea Investment Corp has reportedly said that it is considering an investment in Chesapeake Energy Corp.

National Grid, the operator of the UKÔÇÖs power and gas networks, has reported a 12 per cent rise in annual profits to ┬ú2.2 billion.