The growing popularity of electronic cigarettes has divided regulators and antismoking activists just as Europe gets ready to tighten its tobacco laws.

Investor Daniel Loeb's hedge fund Third Point has boosted its stake in Sony to 6.9%, ratcheting up a bid to convince the Japanese electronics giant to launch an initial public offering of its entertainment division.

China Minmetals said it is considering making a bid for Rio Tinto's $4 billion Canadian iron-ore operations.

New car registrations in the European Union tumbled 5.9% in May over a year earlier to 1.04 million vehicles, the lowest for the month in 20 years.

Clearwire, long the U.S. wireless industry's most embattled carrier, has emerged In recent months as its crown jewel.

Maersk, CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping plan to create an alliance to operate three routes in an effort to tackle one of the worst down-cycles in the industry.

China's CNPC, France's Total and Anglo-Canadian Tethys signed an agreement to develop oil and gas assets in Tajikistan, as Chinese companies continue to pursue energy abroad.

The plan by Jefferson County, Ala., to emerge from bankruptcy protection hinges in part on the sale of $1.9 billion of new debt this fall to refinance debt tied to its troubled sewer system. But some observers are calling terms of the new debt onerous.

Starbucks is posting its calorie counts on menu boards nationwide beginning next week, making it easier for customers to decide just how many Frappuccinos their waistline can handle.