Stocks settle mixed

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks were mixed at the closing bell, amid reports indicating the economy is slowly regaining strength.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose for an eighth straight day, its longest streak since August. The Dow gained 46 points to 10,779, while broader indexes were little changed.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.38 to 1,166. The Nasdaq composite index rose 2 to 2,391.

Gas prices are the highest since 2008

UNDATED (AP) -- Motorists are paying the highest prices for gas since October 2008. Retail gasoline prices rose Thursday on an expected increase in demand and as more expensive spring and summer blends of gasoline make their way to the pumps.

The nationwide average hit about $2.80 a gallon. Prices have now jumped 19 cents in the past month, and are 88 cents higher than year-ago levels.

The Energy Department and many industry experts expect prices to top $3 this spring.

Oil prices drifted below $82 a barrel today in Asia, pulling back from a month-long rally that was fueled by mostly positive news about the U.S. economy.

Benchmark crude for April delivery was down 26 cents to $81.94 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 73 cents to settle at $82.20 on Thursday.

Asian markets mixed as Greece uncertainty weighs

HONG KONG (AP) -- Asian stock markets turned in a mixed performance Friday, fluctuating as uncertainty over debt-laden Greece weighed on investors.

A number of markets were little changed, while oil prices slipped below $82 a barrel and the dollar gained against the yen and weakened against the euro.

Investors were unnerved overnight by new signs European indecision and discord were hampering a quicker resolution to Greece's fiscal crisis. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 stock average fell more than 71 points.

Palm sales slump and stock dives

NEW YORK (AP) -- Palm is having an increasingly difficult time competing in the market dominated by iPhones and BlackBerrys. The company's shares plunged in after-hours trading after investors saw the latest sales figures.

The company shipped 960,000 smart phones to stores and distributors in the latest quarter, 23 percent more than in the previous quarter. However, the number of phones that were actually bought by consumers was 408,000, down 29 percent from the previous quarter.

By comparison, Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in its most recent quarter. Palm shares fell nearly 13 percent in after-hours trading.

Continental asks exemption from delays rule

DALLAS (AP) -- Continental Airlines has asked regulators for an exemption from new rules to punish airlines for long tarmac delays. It says construction at New York's Kennedy Airport will slow operations at two other nearby airports.

If Continental doesn't get its wish, look for the nation's fourth-largest carrier to be quicker to cancel flights that might run up against the 3-hour limit.

Continental joined a growing list of carriers asking not to be punished if they violate a new government rule limiting how long passengers can be delayed on the tarmac.

JetBlue and Delta asked for exemptions last week, and American joined them Tuesday. They are the three biggest operators at Kennedy Airport, where the Federal Aviation Administration predicts delays will average up to 50 minutes during runway construction this spring.

China calls on Washington cool yuan pressure

BEIJING (AP) -- China is stepping up resistance to U.S. pressure over currency, calling on Washington to cool its "politicization and emotionalization" of the issue and warning a further rise in its yuan could drive exporters out of business.

Beijing is trying to head off pressure from American lawmakers for President Barack Obama to have China declared a currency manipulator in a Treasury Department report due out next month. Such a declaration could set the stage for possible trade sanctions.

A top Chinese official warned that dialogue with Washington over the issue might be harmed by "external disturbances," such as this week's letter from 130 American lawmakers calling on Obama to take action against Beijing.

Samsung aims for double-digit sales growth

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Samsung Electronics is predicting a strong 2010 as economic expansion in advanced and large developing economies gains speed, and says it's aiming for double-digit sales growth from last year's record high.

The world's largest manufacturer of flat screen televisions and second-biggest seller of mobile phones held its annual shareholders meeting today, where it also reveled in its status as a force in world business. Sansung's president and CEO told shareholders, "We have become a world class company."

Over the past decade, Samsung has become one of the world's top technology companies in both consumer electronics and some of the key components that go into them.

Climate change cited as Mont. leases suspended

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- A federal judge has approved a first-of-its-kind settlement requiring the government to suspend 38,000 acres of oil and gas leases in Montana so it can gauge how oil field activities contribute to climate change.

At issue are the greenhouse gases emitted by drilling machinery and industry practices such as venting natural gas directly into the atmosphere.

Environmentalists -- who sued when the Montana leases were sold in 2008 -- argued the industry has allowed too much waste and uses inefficient technologies that could easily be updated.

Under the deal, the Bureau of Land Management will suspend the 61 leases in Montana within 90 days. They will have to go through a new round of environmental reviews before the suspensions can be lifted.

Japanese fish dealers welcome tuna ban rejection

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese fish dealers are welcoming the rejection of a proposed trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna -- a prized ingredient of sushi -- while urging that existing quotas be more strictly enforced to protect the species from overfishing.

Yesterday's vote at a U.N. meeting in Doha, Qatar, rejecting the ban was front-page news in all major Japanese newspapers Friday morning.

Japan consumes about 80 percent of the world's Atlantic bluefin tuna, and the possibility of a ban had consumers and fish wholesalers worried that prices for the pink and red meat of the fish would soar, or that it might even vanish from some menus.

Wind farm plans stir up storm over military radar

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military is growing increasingly concerned that proposed wind farms can disrupt or block radar designed to detect threats and protect America's skies, a problem that is stalling the alternative energy projects around the country.

A top U.S. general told Congress that federal agencies need to work better together on a formal vetting process for the wind projects to prevent them from being built where they will interfere with radar defenses.

Review site Yelp under fire in business' lawsuits

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Yelp, one of the most popular Web sites that let people post opinions about restaurants, shops and local services, is being sued by several small businesses that claim they've been pressured to advertise on the site in exchange for getting negative reviews squashed.

Yelp denies the claims, but exactly what happened may never be clear. And regardless of what happens in court, the lawsuits could taint Yelp's reputation as a leader in online reviews.

San Francisco-based Yelp has faced many complaints since it began letting consumers post reviews about local businesses.