Brent crude oil fell below $60 a barrel on Friday as oversupply, supported by record-high U.S. crude stocks, weighed on the market.
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Top China cotton producer resists reforms in restive Xinjiang
China's top cotton producer, a quasi-military body formed 60 years ago to settle the far west Xinjiang area, is resisting a government policy that could force it to cut output in an industry employing hundreds of thousands in the restive region.
Sri Lanka reviews land transfer to China as port deal draws scrutiny
Sri Lanka is reconsidering the outright transfer of a parcel of land to China under a $1.5 billion port city deal signed by a previous government, the energy minister said, amid concerns it could be used for Chinese naval activity.
EU's Oettinger says Greece deal possible next week
Germany's EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Friday he thinks Greece and its creditors should be able to reach a deal but may need another meeting of euro zone leaders next week.
Food companies aim to reinvent diet foods to stay relevant
U.S. consumers are shifting away from weight-management foods, forcing companies ranging from Kellogg Co to Nestle SA to change ingredients and focus their marketing on different health benefits as sales slip.
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World stocks eased off five-month highs on Friday and the euro fell before a European finance ministers' meeting that could potentially cut Greece adrift and set it on the path to exiting the euro zone.
Santander Bank, N.A. has agreed to change the way it screens applicants for checking and savings accounts, becoming the third bank to reach such a pact with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Oil markets edged up on Friday to halt a two-day drop, helped by expectations that data later in the day would show a continuing decline in the U.S. oil rig count, a clear sign of the pressure the tumble in crude has put on oil producers.
Japanese stocks rose to a fresh 15-year high on Friday with the dollar boosted by upbeat U.S. data, but continuing uncertainty over the Greek debt negotiations weighed on the euro.
The mediator in the case brought by investors who rejected Argentina's 2005 and 2010 debt restructurings said on Thursday that the "holdout" investors offered to reopen talks with Buenos Aires, but the government had not responded.
Swiss lawmakers plan to question the country's financial watchdog about HSBC's Swiss bank to determine whether parliament needs to take a more active role in investigation of a trove of details on alleged tax evasion by some of the bank's wealthy clients.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, offering fresh evidence that the labor market was gathering steam.
The Dow and S&P 500 eased on Thursday following declines in energy shares and a disappointing outlook from Wal-Mart, while the Nasdaq hit another 15-year high as Priceline shares jumped.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said it would raise entry-level wages to $9 an hour, a 24 percent increase from the U.S. minimum wage that some employees now earn, succumbing to longstanding pressure to pay its workforce more.
