GLAXOSMITHKLINE PAYS $750 MILLION TO SETTLE COMPLAINTS British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay $750 million to settle criminal and civil complaints that the company knowingly sold contaminated baby ointment and an ineffective antidepressant. The case, filed by a whistle-blower, claimed the company ignored problems at its Puerto Rico plant. U.S. Justice Department officials announced the settlement Tuesday, saying the company would pay $600 million in civil penalties, and a $150 million payment to settle criminal charges, the largest such payment ever by a manufacturer of adulterated drugs. The case is the latest in a growing number of whistle-blower lawsuits that drug makers have settled with multimillion-dollar fines. FORD POSTS SIXTH STRAIGHT PROFITABLE QUARTER Ford Motor Co. said it earned a better-than-expected $1.7 billion in the third quarter, its best third-quarter performance in more than 20 years. Industry analysts said Ford was benefiting from the introduction of new models and broad improvements to its vehicle lineup. The U.S. auto giant said it was gaining market share at the same time that it took steps to further shrink its debt. It was the automaker's sixth consecutive profitable quarter. Ford said it was on track to gain market share in the U.S. for the second consecutive year -- the first time that has happened since the early 1990s. JUDGE SHUTS DOWN LIMEWIRE FILE-SHARING SERVICE A federal judge in New York issued an injunction on Tuesday that will essentially shut down LimeWire, the big music file-sharing service that has been mired in a four-year legal struggle with the music industry. The case has already resulted in the company and its founder being found liable for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. On Tuesday afternoon, visitors to LimeWire's website were greeted with a legal notice. Much of the site was shut down, but there was a link to a copy of the injunction. SPAM GOES FROM FIRE HOSE TO FAUCET AS RUSSIA CRACKS DOWN Russian police Tuesday announced a criminal investigation of a suspected spam kingpin, Igor Gusev. Moscow police authorities said Gusev, 31, was a central figure in the operations of SpamIt.com, which paid spammers to promote online pharmacies. SpamIt.com suddenly stopped operating on Sept. 27. Since then, spammers have curtailed their activity by an estimated 50 billion messages a day. Police said Gusev had probably fled the country. The announcement was a change in Russia's relaxed approach to controlling spam. U.S., EUROPE ARE URGED TO JOIN FORCES ON RARE EARTH METALS The U.S. and Europe should work together with industry to reduce dependence on China for crucial minerals, officials and executives said Tuesday at a high-level conference. The declaration came in response to China's recent decision to cut back export quotas of such materials, known as rare earths. China dominates the mining of these metals, which are crucial for high-tech industries. The consensus among attendees, which included representatives from industry as well as the European Union, the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, was that global trade groups were inadequate when it came to responding to such challenges. STANDARD & POOR'S RAISES OUTLOOK FOR BRITAIN'S DEBT Britain's deficit-cutting plans got a vote of confidence Tuesday, as Standard & Poor's raised its outlook for the country's debt and affirmed its triple-A credit rating. The move came after the release of figures showing Britain's gross domestic product grew better than expected in the third quarter, expanding by 0.8 percent. An S&P statement praised the government for putting public finances on 'a more sustainable footing.' The coalition government of Prime Minister David Cameron is planning to cut almost 500,000 jobs and to curtail welfare spending. Officials hope the private sector will pick up the slack, avoiding another economic downturn. 