Spain's growth slowed but remained firm in the third quarter, official data showed Friday, just as the country emerges from 10 months of political crisis with the conservatives set to head up a minority government.

EU nations approved a landmark free-trade deal with Canada late Friday, clearing the way for its signing after a drama that saw Belgian regions threaten to torpedo years of negotiations.

Profits fell at China's biggest bank ICBC in the third quarter, it said Friday, as it saw rising bad loans in the world's second-largest economy.

Low crude prices and weak refining margins weighed on third-quarter profits at US oil giants ExxonMobil and Chevron in reports Friday, but earnings rose compared with the prior two quarters.

A Sri Lankan parliamentary panel Friday called for the criminal prosecution of former central bank chief Arjuna Mahendran who was removed three months ago over long-running allegations of insider trading.

RIDE-SHARING cab service Uber on Friday lost a British tribunal case brought by drivers demanding basic workers' rights, in a decision that could have repercussions across the "gig economy".

Japan's consumer prices fell in September for the seventh straight month, data showed Friday, heaping more pressure on the central bank to push back its inflation target deadline.

US economic growth accelerated to a 2.9 percent annual rate in the third quarter boosted by a big jump in exports and solid consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

China's three biggest airlines all reported surging net profits in the third quarter, statements showed, as the country's economy stablises.

Electric carmaker Tesla has diversified into the alternative energy business, on Friday unveiling solar roofs for environmentally friendly homes.

German inflation picked up again in October to reach a two-year high, data showed Friday, suggesting the European Central Bank's unprecedented stimulus measures to boost prices may be delivering.

Hurricane Matthew's devastating passage over southern Haiti on October 4 caused nearly $2 billion in damages, Haitian authorities announced Friday.

Some of the world's most advanced economies may club together to sell growth-linked bonds, creating a market that could help avert future debt crises, sources familiar with discussions among Group of 20 policymakers told Reuters.

Boeing reported higher third-quarter earnings and lifted its full-year forecast Wednesday following a solid performance in its commercial airplane deliveries.

Oil fell for a third day on Wednesday, nearing $50 a barrel for the first time in three weeks, as investors grew increasingly doubtful that Opec members will agree to cut output and as U.S. inventories staged a surprisingly large increase.

Danish payment processor company Nets has advised local banks to block up to 100,000 credit cards on suspicion their security might

Canon on Wednesday slashed its annual profit forecast, as it warned that a slowdown in emerging economies and a strong yen were taking a bite out of the bottom line.

Apple Inc posted its third successive quarter of declining iPhone sales on Tuesday and forecast slimmer-than-expected profit margins over the upcoming holiday season even as it projected record sales, sending its shares down.

Thais are crowding shopping malls and department stores to stock up on black clothes, as they begin a year of mourning for beloved King Bhumibol Adulaydej that could end up dampening consumption in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.

Canada's central bank maintained its key lending rate at 0.5 percent Wednesday, saying domestic growth is likely to be weaker than expected this year despite a projected up-tick in the global economy.