U.S. auto industry sales in April came in below expectations as Asia's major carmakers' results disappointed, offsetting strong gains for trucks and SUVs made by General Motors (GM.N) and Ford (F.N).
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FAA considers beyond-line-of-sight drone initiatives: sources
U.S. aviation regulators are talking to drone makers and service providers about testing commercial drones that can fly beyond an operator's visual line of sight, currently banned for safety reasons, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
China unveils new incentives to boost employment
China's cabinet unveiled new measures on Friday to boost employment, offering more flexible tax breaks to companies to hire the jobless, preferential loans and incentives for farmers and new graduates.
Oil off 2015 highs on record Iraq exports, strong dollar
Oil prices eased off 2015 highs on Friday after Iraq said its crude oil exports hit a record in April, and on pressure from a stronger dollar.
Shell signs $15.3 billion bridge loan
Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) has agreed a 10.07 billion pound ($15.28 billion) bridge loan from a group of relationship banks backing its 47 billion pound takeover of smaller rival BG Group (BG.L), the company announced on Friday.
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Ford Motor Co (F.N) said it was expanding a recall to include 156,000 more vehicles to fix a potential door latch malfunction.
U.S. factory activity failed to gain steam in April after slowing for five straight months and demand for automobiles softened, suggesting the economy was struggling to find momentum after growth almost stalled in the first quarter.
Expansion in the U.S. manufacturing sector weakened in April as growth in output and new orders fell, according to an industry report released on Friday.
Royal Dutch Shell is pushing ahead with plans to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean near Alaska this summer despite opposition from environmental groups.
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) on Thursday unveiled Tesla Energy - storage systems or batteries for homes, companies and utilities that will expand its business beyond electric vehicles and tap into a fast-growing area of the energy industry.
Most top credit rating agencies say they would not cut Greece's rating to default if it misses a payment to the International Monetary Fund or European Central Bank, a stance that could keep vital ECB funding flowing into the financial system.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives who are trying to end the decades-old ban on U.S. crude oil exports said on Thursday they were gaining support after a Democrat joined the Republican-led effort. Representative Henry Cuellar became the first Democrat to sign on to a bill launched in February by Representative Joe Barton, a Republican and fellow Texan.
Oil rounded out its best monthly gain in six years on Thursday, with the two global benchmarks for crude rising between 20 and 25 percent in April, helped by a weaker dollar and bets that a supply glut would ease.
The euro zone ended four months of deflation in April with consumer prices unchanged from year-ago levels, removing the threat of persistent price declines as energy costs pushed up in the month.
