Exit poll shows Socialists are re-elected in Portugal’s parliamentary elections

LISBON, Portugal — An exit poll says Portugal’s center-left Socialist Party has won re-election in the country’s parliamentary elections.

AP Source: Chrysler to improve midsize cars, keep Mich. factory open until new model developed

DETROIT — Chrysler will try to improve its slow-selling midsize cars and keep making them indefinitely at a Sterling Heights, Mich., assembly plant until it can design a replacement based on Fiat technology, a person briefed on the company’s business plan said Monday.

Xerox buying Affiliated Computer Services, as printer company beefs up document mangement work

NEW YORK — Xerox Corp. has agreed to buy Affiliated Computer Services Inc. for about $5.75 billion in cash and stock in a deal that will boost the size of its document management business and take it another step away from its roots as a printer company.

Toyota risk over stuck accelerators lead to its largest ever vehicle recall in US

WASHINGTON — Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company’s largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash.

Financial woes ground NYC helicopter shuttle that whisked Wall Streeters to nearby airports

NEW YORK — A helicopter company that shuttled New York City jet-setters from Manhattan to two major airports nearby has abruptly suspended service.

FDA finds bungled approval of knee repair device followed ‘extreme’ political pressure

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has taken the unprecedented step of acknowledging that it buckled to “extreme” pressure from Capitol Hill in its approval of a knee repair device last year. While FDA officials call the situation an anomaly, experts said Friday there is nothing to stop similar political lobbying from influencing future decisions.

Sara Lee shares rise on announcement of sale of some European units

MILWAUKEE — Shares of Sara Lee Corp. rose on Friday after the maker of Ball Park franks and Jimmy Dean sausages said it has reached an agreement to sell its soap and personal care business in Europe for $1.88 billion.

AP Source: New Chrysler board considering new vehicles with Fiat technology

DETROIT — A person briefed on the agenda says the new Chrysler Group LLC board will discuss plans for a number of new models, some based on cars sold by Italy’s Fiat Group SpA.

European Medicines Agency recommends 2 swine flu vaccines be licensed

LONDON — The European Union’s drug regulator recommended Friday that two swine flu vaccines be licensed in the 27-nation bloc to ensure their availability before the start of the normal flu season.

Ford invests $490 million to build small car assembly plant in China to capture growing market

SHANGHAI — Ford Motor Co. said Friday it plans to spend $490 million on building a third assembly plant in China, ramping up production to meet surging demand in this fast-growing market as the U.S. automaker expands in Asia.

Fed jurors reject family’s claim that FEMA trailer exposed hurricane victims to fumes

NEW ORLEANS — A federal jury on Thursday rejected a New Orleans family’s assertions that the government-issued trailer they lived in after Hurricane Katrina exposed them to dangerous fumes, in the first of several trials that could lead to hundreds of similar claims being resolved.

Product Recall: dried apricots

The following recall has been announced:

Calif. bans high-emission paint thinners, aerosols in attempt to lessen smog, improve health

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California air regulators approved strict regulations Thursday for aerosol air fresheners, paint thinners and solvents as a way to lessen smog-forming emissions and reduce a health threat.

H&R Block CEO outlines strategy for gaining, retaining tax preparation clients

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tax preparation giant H&R Block Inc. hopes to attract new clients in the coming year with better service at its offices and advertising that reminds the public of its traditional strengths, Chief Executive Officer Russ Smyth said Thursday.

Judge denies temporary restraining order Wyeth sought to block rival’s generic antibiotic

TRENTON, N.J. — A federal judge on Thursday rejected drugmaker Wyeth’s request for a temporary restraining order to block a rival from selling a generic version of a lucrative Wyeth antibiotic.

Air Force will again try to award $35 billion tanker contract to either Boeing, Northrop

WASHINGTON — The Air Force is poised to reopen the competition between rivals Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. for a troubled $35 billion tanker contract.

Legislation keeps government from closing down, aids cash-strapped Postal Service

WASHINGTON — A House-Senate panel on Thursday approved legislation to keep the government from closing down when the new budget year starts next week and employed a $4 billion bookkeeping maneuver to keep the financially troubled Postal Service afloat.

A world first: AIDS vaccine cuts the risk of HIV infection by 31 percent in large Thai study

BANGKOK — For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible.

AP Source: Citigroup focusing on improving retail banking operations in 6 major markets

NEW YORK — Citigroup Inc. appears to be shifting its strategy in its U.S. retail banking business, focusing on its strongest markets rather than trying to expand across the country.

How conservative links helped ACORN ‘pimp and hooker’ undercover videos became big news

LOS ANGELES — Much of America discovered James O’Keefe III and Hannah Giles through their hidden-camera, make-believe pimp and prostitute videos of ACORN employees giving advice about establishing a brothel with underage hookers.

Amid complaints, CPSC pledges swift probe of Chinese drywall

WASHINGTON — Under fire for the pace of her agency’s investigation, the nation’s top consumer safety official is promising to move swiftly to probe a flood of complaints about suspect drywall imported from China.

Institute of Medicine will review FDA’s system for clearing low-risk medical devices

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is asking the government’s top medical advisers to review its system for approving certain types of medical devices, which has been criticized by safety advocates and government watchdogs.

Product Recalls: bunk beds, hammocks

The following recalls have been announced:

Commercial Metals falls after analyst downgrades stock on weak non-residential construction

NEW YORK — Commercial Metals Co. fell Wednesday after an analyst downgraded the shares to “Neutral” from “Buy” because weak non-residential construction is expected to limit volumes and prices.

Diagnostics product maker Qiagen NV announces offering of new common shares

Netherlands-based diagnostic products maker Qiagen NV announced on Tuesday a placement of 27.5 million newly issued common shares in an international offering.

Authors and publishers vow to redo Google settlement to resolve antitrust, copyright concerns

NEW YORK — A $125 million settlement of a lawsuit that would give Google Inc. the digital rights to millions of out-of-print books will be renegotiated in light of the U.S. Department of Justice’s contention that the deal probably violates antitrust law, lawyers involved in the case said Tuesday.

Senator backs off from tax on contact lenses, tampons; power wheelchairs still get hit

WASHINGTON — They were calling it the tax on Q-tips. Amid Republican ridicule, a Democratic chairman backed down Tuesday and exempted consumer items of $100 or less — from condoms to contact lenses — from a proposed tax on medical device manufacturers. It would help pay for health care coverage for the uninsured in comprehensive legislation.

Judge orders feds to take closer look at beets genetically engineered to resist weed killer

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A federal judge overturned government approval of a variety of sugar beet genetically engineered to resist a popular weed killer produced by agricultural giant Monsanto, according to a ruling released Tuesday.

GAO report: Agriculture Department failed to tell schools about recalls of suspect food

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities failed to tell schools about recalls of potentially tainted peanut products and canned vegetables, and cafeterias may have unknowingly served them to children, the Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday.

General Motors to increase output at 3 factories to make up for production at closed plants

DETROIT — General Motors Co. will go to 24-hour operations at factories in Kansas, Michigan and Indiana to handle an expected increase in demand and to make up for production lost from a large-scale factory consolidation announced earlier in the year.