Seven insurance companies have sued Toyota Motor Corp. in an attempt to recover money paid to cover crashes they blame on sudden acceleration.

The insurers cite data that blames 725 crashes on the problem and fault the Japanese automaker for failing to equip its cars with an override system that would cause a car to idle if the brake and gas were deployed simultaneously. They are seeking damages in excess of $230,000 from 14 crashes throughout the United States.

The International Bank of Qatar (ibq) has chosen Lebanon's Walid Abdel Nour as its director-general in Syria, An Nahar newspaper reported Monday.

It said Abdel Nour was Byblos Bank's director in Syria before accepting his new post. He was chosen among several top Arab and foreign bankers, An Nahar said.

Central Bank governor Riyad Salameh appeased fears over monetary stability in 2011 and said economic growth will be within the limits expected.

"There is no fear this year over the currently balanced monetary stability," Salameh told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Monday.

Oil prices rose to near $92 a barrel Monday in Asia as traders mulled how high crude can go before it sparks inflation that slows demand and the global economic recovery.

Benchmark oil for February delivery rose 20 cents to $91.58 a barrel late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.54 to settle at $91.38 on Friday.

Fiat has spun off its industrial vehicle business from its auto making unit in a move aimed at giving birth to a global automotive company with Chrysler LLC.

The historic shift was completed with Fiat Industrial's debut Monday on the Milan Stock Exchange. It opened at €9 ($12.03). Fiat Industrial includes CNH agriculture and construction vehicles and Iveco trucks.

Oil dropped in afternoon Asian trade Friday after US data showed the country's crude stocks declined less than expected, analysts said.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for February delivery, dropped 34 cents to 89.50 dollars per barrel in the afternoon.

Pope Benedict XVI is set to publish a decree on Thursday to fight money-laundering in the Vatican, three months after an investigation was launched into two senior figures at the Vatican bank.

Benedict's 'Moto Proprio' document, which will be published at noon (1100 GMT), concerns "the prevention and opposition to illegal financial activity," according to a Holy See press release.

The Swiss franc strengthened on Thursday to new highs against the U.S. dollar, Euro and the British Pound, as investors turned to the refuge currency amid weakness in other industrialized economies.

The euro slumped below the barrier of 1.24 francs in early morning trade, trading at just 1.2396 francs.

China, already the banker to the United States and a major investor in emerging markets, is now positioning itself as the potential "white knight" savior to debt-laden Europe, analysts say.

Beijing has vowed to support European countries struggling under mountains of debt by buying their government bonds, which experts say could help ease tensions over a range of trade issues as well as boost China's global standing.

A Kuwaiti court ruled on Wednesday that Kuwait-based Zain telecom can open its books for due diligence to the Emirati firm Etisalat which has offered to buy a majority stake in Zain.

Al-Fawares Holding, a leading private investor in Zain, had filed a lawsuit against opening the books, on the grounds that it had not seen an official purchase offer from Etisalat.