U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin praised investment opportunities in Israel on Sunday and said Washington would increase its participation in infrastructure projects there.

NEW YORK, Oct 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Computer giant IBM Corp, financial services company Western Union Co and European police launched a project Thursday to share financial data which they said may, in future, be able to predict human trafficking before it occurs.

Alphabet Inc's Google will charge hardware firms up to $40 per device to use its apps under a new licensing system to replace one that the European Union this year deemed anti-competitive, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook on Friday told an online news website that Bloomberg should retract a story that claimed Apple's internal computer systems had been infiltrated by malicious computer chips inserted by Chinese intelligence agents.

Dell Technologies Inc will ask holders of "tracking stock" tied to its software company VMware Inc to vote on its $21.7 billion cash-and-stock offer to buy it back from them on Dec. 11, according to people familiar with the matter.

The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) is planning to help modernise and improve transparency in the industry with an approval process for companies using blockchain technology to track the movement of gold.

* New CEO eyes acquisitions in data storage (Recasts on CEO strategy review and M&A)

Square Inc, the company led by Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, on Thursday launched a payment terminal for small business clients, expanding its suite of hardware products.

* Crude oil futures fall for first session in four (Updates prices after release of Fed minutes, changes comments)

* Crude oil futures fall for first session in four (Updates prices, comment)