BHP Billiton, the worldÔÇÖs largest mining company, has agreed to buy Canadian potash developer Athabasca Potash Inc. (API) for C$341 million ($320 million).  The deal follows news of Brazilian miner Vale's $3.8 billion acquisition on Tuesday of food conglomerate Bunge's Brazilian assets, which are primarily focused on phosphate and fertilizers. BHP signaled its interest in the potash sector by its acquisition of Anglo Potash in 2008.

The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis has signed agreements with ChinaÔÇÖs Minsheng Pharmaceutical Co. to form a new consumer healthcare joint venture.

Putting an end to months of speculation, Apple yesterday unveiled its new tablet device, the iPad.

Mining giant Anglo American has said it will start a new venture in South Africa that could create 25,000 jobs in up to 1,500 businesses across the country within the next seven years.

General Motors agreed last night to sell its Saab Automobile brand to the Dutch car maker Spyker for $400 million.  Spyker, which manufactures luxury sports cars, will form a new companyÔÇöSaab Spyker AutomobilesÔÇöto take over the brand. The Zeewold, Netherlands-based company employs 110 people and produces between 30 and 50 cars per year, which each sell for around $200,000. Saab, which currently employs 3,400 workers, last year manufactured 24,000 cars. Spyker is estimating that it will make 100,000 Saabs a year, enough to be profitable.

General Motors agreed last night to sell its Saab Automobile brand to the Dutch car maker Spyker for $400 million (£247 million).

Consumer electronics giant Apple has reported its most profitable quarter in its 34-year history, beating its previous quarterly record by more than $3 billion.

Official figures to be released today are expected to show that the UK has officially exited from recession.

A consortium made up of Italy's Eni, California-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Korea Gas Corp. signed a final deal in Baghdad on Friday to develop the Zubair oil field in southern Iraq.  The deal is one of several that IraqÔÇÖs government hopes will transform it into a major global oil producer.  The consortium plans to invest approximately $20 billion into Zubair over the life of the 20-year contract, which has the potential to be extended to 25 years.

London-based marketing group Aegis has formed a joint venture with ChinaÔÇÖs Charm, one of the largest brokers to China Central Television.