Also

* U.S. sales of electronics during the holiday shopping season rose 6.5% to $8.75 billion, slowing from a 10% increase a year earlier, as retailers cut prices on flat-panel television sets, NPD Group said.

* DaimlerChrysler said a joint venture with China Motor Corp. to make vans won government approval. DaimlerChrysler, China Motor and Fujian Motor Industry Group received permission from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce for a $265-million venture that will build as many as 40,000 Mercedes-Benz vans a year.