International News
Europe close: Stocks finish higher on strong PMI readings
Stocks on the Continent finished mostly higher on the back of strong survey readings on the euro area's manufacturing and services sector and ahead of the German general elections at the weekend, although fresh barbs from Pyongyang were a drag on sentiment.
Thousands of steel workers protest ThyssenKrupp merger in Germany
Thousands of steel workers gathered in Western Germany on Friday to protest the proposed merger of ThyssenKrupp and Tata Steel's European operations which was expected to result in approximately 4,000 job losses.
JP Morgan Chase to establish global headquarters in Warsaw
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Friday that US bank JP Morgan Chase had picked Warsaw to play host to its new global operations centre, bringing thousands of jobs to the region from the beginning of 2018.
Ryanair forced to pay for seats on rival airlines after cancellation scandal
Irish airline Ryanair has been forced to pay for replacement seats on rival airlines following the cancellation of hundreds of flights this week.
Facebook to hand over Russian-sponsored ads to Congress
US social media giant Facebook said it would hand over information relating to Russia-sponsored ads on its site to Congress.
International Aids Society announces 'exciting breakthough' in HIV treatment and prevention
In what it called an "exciting breakthrough" in HIV treatment, the International Aids Society announced that scientists had engineered a new antibody that attacks 99% of known strains of the virus.
US economy shows resilience in face of hurricanes - Markit
Business activity in the US picked up in September despite hurricanes Harvey and Irma, as growth in the manufacturing sector helped to offset an easing in services, according to preliminary data released on Friday.
US open: Wall Street recovers after initial dip
Wall Street has started the session slightly lower but was quickly recovering, following a threat from North Korea's top diplomatic official.
US trade chief criticises Mexico and Canada over imports
America's top trade official pointed to the declining share of US-made parts and components in imports from Canada and Mexico to justify the need to take a "fresh look" at the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Philips 66 announces asset sale to master limited partnership
Energy manufacturing and logistics firm Phillips 66 announced on Friday that it would be selling assets back to its master limited partnership (MLP), Phillips 66 Partners, as part of a deal worth $2. 4bn, including debt, making it the latter's biggest acquisition to date.
Merkel heavy favourite to retain position as Chancellor
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the heavy favourite to retain her position against Martin Schulz before the Bundestag election on 24 September.
Sprint and T-Mobile said to agree tentative terms of merger
Shares in Sprint Corp rallied in pre-market trade following reports it is close to agreeing tentative terms of a deal to merge with T-Mobile.
Lufthansa, easyJet in talks to buy Air Berlin aviation business
Lufthansa and easyJet have been selected as possible buyers for the aviation business of Air Berlin, which filed for insolvency last month.
Hewlett Packard Enterprises to start laying off 5,000 staff by year end
Californian tech giant Hewlett Packard Enterprises is reportedly planning to axe roughly 10% of its staff as it looks to decrease outgoings amid increased competition.
French GDP growth confirmed at 0.5% in second quarter
France's economy continued to expand at a steady clip over the three months to June on the back of strong growth in fixed asset investment and exports.
Asia report: Most markets lower as Pyongyang blusters
Most markets in Asia finished lower on Friday, as Pyongyang blustered that it was considering testing a nuclear weapon in the Pacific Ocean.
Iran president Rouhani vows to strengthen missiles after Trump speech
Donald Trump’s criticism of Iran in his speech at the UN this week has only served to strengthen the country’s determination to increase its missile capability, president Hassan Rouhani has said.
Billionaire's death creates uncertainty around L'Oreal and Nestle deal
Shares in cosmetics group L'Oreal were up around 4% in early trading on Friday after the passing of 94-year old billionaire Liliane Bettencourt, whose death could significantly alter the current deal between L'Oreal and Nestle.
Spain delays 2018 Budget due to opposition from Spanish Basque nationalist party PNV
The political uncertainty in Catalonia has reportedly forced the country's government to postpone its push in parliament to approve the 2018 budget as Spain's Basque nationalist party (PNV) has, for the time being at least, apparently threatened to withdraw its support.
US pre-open: Stocks seen slightly lower on North Korea concerns
US futures pointed to a downbeat open on Wall Street on Friday after North Korea threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.