Japan's SMFG Q1 net profit flat, keeps outlook
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. said net profit was roughly flat in the first quarter and stuck by its forecast for an earnings rebound for the full year, helped by an improvement in its bond portfolio and strong sales of investment trusts.
Michelin first half profit up 34 pct but shares fall
France's Michelin posted a 33.5 percent jump in first-half core operating income to 860.6 million euros ($1.2 billion), meeting forecasts, but its stock fell again on U.S. economic woes.
Congress ties Pakistan aid to terrorism progress
Congressional negotiators have agreed on legislation that would tie U.S. aid to Pakistan to significant progress by Islamabad in cracking down on al Qaeda, the Taliban and other militants, congressional sources said on Thursday.
Climate change to loom large at APEC finmin meeting
The economic challenges of climate change will top the agenda when finance ministers of APEC's 21-members meet in the Queensland coastal resort of Coolum next week.
Zentiva shares fall after warning on H1 results
Shares in Czech drugmaker Zentiva fell more than 7 percent in early Friday trade after the company said first-half results would be lower than expected.
Reuters H1 profit beats forecasts, sales strong
News and information provider Reuters Group Plc, which is being taken over by Canadian publisher Thomson Corp, posted a higher-than-expected interim trading profit and said sales were strong.
Target to sell only Blu-ray DVD players
Target plans to carry only Blu-ray high definition DVD players through the holiday shopping season, a move that boosts the Sony-backed technology and may deal a blow to rival HD-DVD.
Stage set for battle of the bands among gamers
A battle of the bands is shaping up in the red-hot genre of musical video games, with a highly anticipated debut title set to take on a hit franchise for the collective rock 'n' roll soul of gamers.
Texas leads list of dirtiest U.S. power plants
Texas has the most entries on a list of the dirtiest U.S. power plants, while New England and the Pacific Coast make less carbon dioxide because they have fewer coal-burning plants, an environmental group said on Thursday.
U.S. court throws out city's illegal immigration law
A U.S. judge on Thursday struck down as unconstitutional a local law designed to crack down on illegal immigration, dealing a blow to similar laws passed by dozens of towns and cities across the country.
Aquafina labels to spell out source - tap water
PepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry.
Transocean, GlobalSantaFe break new deal ground
Transocean Inc. and GlobalSantaFe Corp. earned a page in the innovative deals book earlier this week, carving a route around high oil sector valuations and tightening debt markets.
Pilots blamed in Comair crash, controller cleared
Pilots of a Comair jet that crashed in Kentucky, killing 49 people, failed to recognize obvious signs they were on the wrong runway -- one that was too short for safe takeoff, U.S. investigators said on Thursday.
Sony President: no plans for another PS3 price cut
Sony Corp. currently has no plans for a further price cut to its PlayStation 3 (PS3) game console following a $100 cut in the U.S., the electronics conglomerate's president said on Friday.
Commuter writes book using mobile phone
An Italian writer decided to put his mobile phone to good use during his daily commute to and from work -- by writing a book.
Reid tells four companies no coal power in Nevada
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada sent a letter this week to four companies telling them not to build planned coal-burning power plants in his state.
Yen surges as market turbulence stokes risk aversion
The yen hit a three-month high against the dollar and a six-week high versus the euro on Friday as a sell-off in credit and stock markets forced investors to cut back on risky carry trades.
Microsoft CEO defends move beyond desktop
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer defended the software company's expansion beyond its Windows and office software businesses, saying Web services and consumer devices are key to the company's future.
Mexico to use huge drug cash haul for addict rehab
Mexico will use $206 million confiscated in what officials call the world's biggest drug cash seizure to fund programs for addicts and strengthen the justice system, the government said on Thursday.
Notebooks to drive PC shipment growth in 2007: research
The personal computer industry is on track to see 11.2 percent growth in shipments for the year, with notebook computers driving most of the momentum, according to one research firm.
Microsoft ads to replace Google at Digg.com
Software giant Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) brokered a contract to host its advertisements on the popular Web 2.0 website Digg.com, ousting the former advertising partner Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).
Senate panel OKs currency bill aimed at China
The Senate Finance Committee voted 20-1 on Thursday to give the U.S. government new tools to press China to raise the value of its currency, but the Bush administration said it opposed the bill.
Gap names drug chain exec Murphy as CEO
Gap Inc. on Thursday named Glenn Murphy as its new chief executive and chairman, giving a respected former Canadian drug chain chief with no significant fashion industry experience the mandate to turn around the world's largest apparel retailer.
FDA probing death in gene therapy trial
A patient who became ill following two experimental gene therapy injections for arthritis has died and U.S. health regulators are investigating the cause, officials said on Thursday.
Sprint, Google in pact for WiMax mobile Web
Google Inc. has made its biggest move yet on the U.S. mobile Web market by signing a deal with Sprint Nextel Corp. that positions the Internet company to build services to run on Sprint's planned WiMAX high-speed wireless network.
Paulson praises French candidate for IMF job
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Thursday he considered France's Dominique Strauss-Kahn a good candidate to take over the International Monetary Fund and urged continued reform at the lender.
L.A. ports reach contract deal with clerks
Fourteen major shipping lines reached a tentative contract deal on Thursday with clerical workers for cargo terminals at Los Angeles and Long Beach, averting a threatened strike at the two busiest U.S. seaports.
FDA to ask if Avandia should stay on market
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will ask outside advisers if GlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes drug Avandia should be taken off the market or remain on sale with new warnings or limits, a summary released on Thursday said.
New home sales fall, durable goods orders weak
Sales of new U.S. homes dropped more than expected in June, while orders for long-lasting U.S.-made goods were weaker than analysts forecast, according to reports on Thursday that raised fresh concerns about the economy.
Global wind power rises by 26 pct in 2006: report
Global wind power capacity rose by nearly 26 percent last year, generating electricity equivalent to nearly 33 million passenger cars, Worldwatch Institute reported.
