France's floundering economy pushed car sales 6.8 percent lower year-on-year in December, while Spanish sales jumped by 21.4 percent, helped by a subsidy scheme, and also rose in Italy, according to auto industry associations.
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Banco do Brasil gets central bank approval for Cielo venture
Banco do Brasil SA (BBAS3.SA), the nation's largest bank by assets, said on Friday it received approval from the central bank for a joint venture with card payment processor Cielo SA (CIEL3.SA), but it will not be able to book accounting gains from the deal.
Quindell seeks to dispose of operating division
British technology and outsourcing company Quindell Plc said it had entered into exclusivity arrangements with a third party for possible disposal of an operating division to improve its working capital profile.
Free delivery creates holiday boon for U.S. consumers at high cost
For top U.S. retailers, free delivery is now the norm. That is good news for shoppers, but not so much for investors. During the just-ended holiday season, outlets from Target to Wal-Mart to Amazon
Vuzix says received Intel investment for smart glasses
Vuzix Corporation said on Friday that Intel Corp invested $24.8 million in the company to speed up the launch of Internet-connected eyewear. Intel bought preferred stock that is convertible into common shares equivalent to 30 percent of Vuzix, Vuzix said in a press release.
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A top Federal Reserve official said on Friday she could see the U.S. central bank raising interest rates in the first half of the year, earlier than some expect, given that the economy is on a "very firm footing."
Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and affiliate Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) aim to lift global vehicle sales by 2.5 percent in 2015, as capacity constraints and a weak market recovery set up the South Korean pair for their slowest expansion in 12 years.
Brent crude LCOc1 reversed early gains to trade near $57 a barrel on Friday, as the glut of oil that has halved prices since June overshadowed investors repositioning at the start of the year for an eventual recovery.
The euro took another downward lurch on Friday, sinking to a 4-1/2 year low against the dollar on clear indications that the European Central Bank will soon embark on outright money-printing.
Euro zone politicians are not obliged to rescue Greece as the country is no longer of systemic importance to the single currency bloc, a senior member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party was quoted as saying.
The Arizona Coyotes have a new majority owner after Philadelphia hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway received approval to buy a 51 percent stake in the National Hockey League franchise.
U.S. drug approvals in 2014 hit their highest level in 18 years and recommendations in Europe also came at a rapid rate, driven by expensive new treatments for cancer and rare diseases.
South Africa will spend 10 billion rand ($860 million) between 2015 and 2017 on life-prolonging HIV/AIDS treatment drugs, health authorities said on Wednesday, as studies show the prevalence of the virus is rising.
South Korean authorities have found evidence that a low-risk computer "worm" had been removed from devices connected to some nuclear plant control systems, but no harmful virus was found in reactor controls threatened by a hacker.
