Expedia Inc (EXPE.O) has acquired online travel agency Travelocity from technology company Sabre Corp (SABR.O) for $280 million in cash, the companies said in a statement on Friday, as consolidation in the online booking industry continues.

U.S. stocks fell modestly on Friday, pressured by underwhelming corporate news including guidance from economic activity bellwether UPS and as materials stocks fell after bearish notes.

Low borrowing costs, currency shifts and the hunt for both cost savings and growth opportunities will drive a steady flow of merger and acquisition deals this year despite geopolitical tensions, according to business leaders meeting this week.

The European Central Bank agreed on Thursday to embark on a quantitative easing (QE) programme, which together with its existing schemes will pump 60 billion euros a month into the euro zone economy from this March until September next year.

Oil prices jumped on Friday as news of the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah added to uncertainty in energy markets already facing some of the biggest shifts in decades

Sri Lanka's new government said on Thursday it might renegotiate a $1.5 billion "port city" deal with China Communications Construction Co Ltd (601800.SS), softening its pre-election threat to scrap the project.

China's manufacturing growth stalled for the second straight month in January and companies had to cut prices at a faster clip to win new business, adding to worries about growing deflationary pressures in the economy, a private survey showed.

A deal on a 12-nation Asia-Pacific trade pact could be concluded in mid-March, Mexico's economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, said on Thursday.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's crusade to win back investor confidence has entrusted policymakers with the tough mission of hiking interest rates while major central banks cut them, raising the prospect of another recession in Latin America's biggest economy.

A top economic adviser of U.S. President Barack Obama has called for tighter regulations on Wall Street brokers, saying abusive trading practices were costing billions of dollars to clients in their retirement savings each year, Bloomberg reported.

Asian stocks extended a global rally on Friday after the European Central Bank launched a landmark bond-buying stimulus program that buoyed investors' risk appetite, drove bonds higher and kept the euro pinned near 11-year lows.

JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) paid Chief Executive Jamie Dimon a first cash bonus in three years, part of a total 2014 pay package of $20 million that was unchanged from the year before.

General Motors Co's (GM.N) Cadillac brand is at least four years away from introducing a small sport-utility vehicle which is a critical part of expansion plans, the brand's president said on Thursday.

German automakers BMW and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) are joining with ChargePoint to build a U.S. network of fast-charging stations for electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the companies said Thursday.

It's "premature" to talk about bankruptcy for troubled gaming resort Atlantic City, Detroit's former turnaround expert said Thursday as he signed on with the latest bid to revive a city some see as bound to follow the path taken by the Motor City.

Cache Inc (CACH.O) is poised to become the latest U.S. apparel retailer to file for bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Japan's financial regulators are set to investigate the financial soundness of banks' mortgage operations as a further decline in interest rates threatens to squeeze margins, sources familiar with the plan said this week.

Crude oil prices pared early losses but still settled lower on Thursday after a government report showed the biggest build in U.S. crude inventory in at least 14 years.

U.S. airlines on Thursday forecast enormous fuel savings in 2015 but hinted that ample consumer demand would allow them to avoid fare discounts and pass savings on to shareholders.

Telefonica (TEF.MC) has agreed to sell its British unit O2 to Hutchison Whampoa Ltd (0013.HK) in a deal valued at more than 10 billion pounds ($15 billion), a source with direct knowledge of the operation said on Thursday.

Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) on Thursday said traffic to its Americas-region stores perked up during the holiday quarter, easing investor jitters about slower growth and boosting shares over 4 percent in after-hours trading.

The British government plans to introduce a law before May forcing tobacco firms to sell cigarettes in plain packets without branding in England, ending years of debate and lobbying.

U.S. private equity fund KKR has bought British rail ticket website thetrainline.com from buyout firm Exponent for an undisclosed sum, derailing its planned London stock market listing, the funds said on Thursday.

South Korean smartphone maker LG Electronics Inc said on Thursday that it encountered no overheating problems with Qualcomm Inc's new Snapdragon processor that is powering a curved-screen device going on sale later this month.

Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC.PS), the Philippines' largest fast food company, said on Thursday it is keen to buy a U.S.-based fast food firm with a market value of at least $1 billion to advance a goal of boosting revenues from outside its home base.

U.S. tech giant Amazon is in talks to buy Israeli chipmaker Annapurna Labs for up to $370 million, financial newspaper Calcalist reported on Thursday.

New world trade talks had to level the playing field between developed and developing economies on farm support and avoid being held hostage by countries unwilling to open markets, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said in an opinion piece to be published on Thursday.

Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan's largest drugmaker, is ready to look at doing deals now that it has refocused operations, its incoming chief executive said on Wednesday.

China's biggest property conglomerate, Dalian Wanda Group Co, has bought 20 percent of Spanish soccer champions Atletico Madrid for 45 million euros ($52 million), becoming the first Mainland company to invest in a premier European club.

When Sri Lanka unexpectedly turfed out President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an election this month, it was the biggest setback in decades for China's expansion into South Asia - and a remarkable diplomatic victory for India.