PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 16 (UPI) — The U.S. social networking Web site Facebook has purchased the social aggregator FriendFeed for $47.5 million, The Washington Post said Sunday.

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 (UPI) — Bernard Madoff had a two-decade affair with the chief financial officer of a charity that invested tens of millions of dollars with him, a new book says.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. 15 (UPI) — Sales of non-alcoholic products in Sweden by the country’s retail alcohol monopoly have increased dramatically so far in 2009, figures show.

MALIBU, Calif., Aug. 15 (UPI) — A California man has agreed to plead guilty to stashing at least $1 million in a Swiss bank without paying U.S. taxes, federal prosecutors said.

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Aug. 15 (UPI) — A primarily Swedish consortium eyeing a possible bid to buy Volvo Cars from Ford Motors has the support of a Volvo workers union, a business daily reports.

MARSHFIELD, Maine, Aug. 15 (UPI) — Maine lobstermen are facing hard times as Americans cut back on consumption of the seafood delicacy and prices fall, industry players say.

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Aug. 15 (UPI) — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says it has sold failed southern U.S. bank Colonial BancGroup Inc. to BB&T Corp.

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Aug. 15 (UPI) — The chairwoman of South Korea’s Hyundai Group is staying longer than planned in North Korea, awaiting a chance to see leader Kim Jong Il, officials say.

Back-to-school shopping season a bust … More Americans are ditching landlines … Three Madoff homes to be auctioned off … ‘Relaxation drinks’ touted as newest thing … News from United Press International.

ZURICH, Switzerland, Aug. 15 (UPI) — UBS Ag has become a liability for the Swiss government as the United States pressures it to relax its strict banking secrecy laws, analysts say.