Facebook removes ads from controversial pages to avoid boycott

Facebook has announced a major revamp of its advertising systems in an attempt to deal with concerns about offensive content.

No sign of BlackBerry turnaround in results, shares plunge

TORONTO: BlackBerry's market capitalization plunged by more than 25 per cent on Friday after the smartphone maker reported dismal quarterly results, prompting deeper investor skepticism of the company's long-promised turnaround.

Rolls-Royce 'regrets' Qantas A380 engine explosion

Rolls-Royce has said that it "regrets" the mid-air failure of one of its Trent 900 engines which happened on a Qantas A380 plane in November 2010. The explosion in the engine had forced an emergency landing of the plane.

Irish Want Obama to Keep Tax Breaks

The Irish government is preparing an intense lobbying campaign to persuade President-elect Barack Obama to keep almost 100,000 jobs in U.S. multinationals in Ireland.

Barnes & Noble Nook sales plunge

US bookstore chain Barnes & Noble has seen its fourth-quarter net loss more than double to $118.6m (£77m) as sales of its Nook e-books and devices continue to drop.

Vodafone agrees 7.7bn-euro deal to buy Kabel Deutschland

UK telecoms group Vodafone has agreed with the board of German cable operator Kabel Deutschland to buy the business for 7.7bn euros (£6.6bn; $10bn).

Companies ditch renting to cut property costs

LONDON: After decades of renting being the norm, companies with offices in the world's major cities are seeing more financial sense in buying their own buildings, prompted by a mix of cheap debt, stockpiled cash and new accounting rules.

Nokia M&A talk stirs share valuation rethink

HELSINKI: Investors alert to M&A speculation around Nokia are taking a fresh look at whether the struggling mobile handset maker's share price undervalues its assets and increasing signs of financial stability.

Manufacturing firms stuck in a rut, CBI survey shows

Britain's manufacturers have been stuck in a rut for the past three months, despite signs of a revival in other parts of the economy, according to the latest survey from the CBI.

FedEx posts higher-than expected profit, will cut more capacity

(Reuters) - FedEx Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, sending its shares higher, but the world's biggest air-freight company said it was cutting more capacity between the United States and Asia.

Netflix looks for more original programming with DreamWorks deal

Video streaming service Netflix Inc will beef up its original programming menu through a new, multi-year deal with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc, the maker of movies such as Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.

Microsoft releases data on US information requests

WASHINGTON: Microsoft has said it received between 6,000 and 7,000 criminal and national security requests from US authorities in the second half of last year related to 31,000 to 32,000 customer accounts.

Barclays seeks up to 700 staff for new Dallas technology hub

LONDON: Barclays is aiming to recruit up to 700 technology staff in the next 18 months at a new centre in the United States that will develop applications for investment banking and consumer banking.

Airbus A350 successfully completes maiden test flight

The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus has successfully completed its maiden test flight. The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

UK car production on track to overtake France by 2018

LONDON: Britain may overtake France as Europe's second largest automotive producer within the next five years if UK car sales and exports maintain current strong growth, industry executives said on Thursday.

Sainsbury's outperforms Tesco as sales growth continues

Sainbury's has reported steady growth in sales during the first quarter of 2013, as the grocer continues to outperform rival Tesco.

Volkswagen issues 1.2 bn euros of convertible bonds

FRANKFURT: Volkswagen will sell up to 1.2 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in bonds that will be converted into shares to bolster its car finance arm, the second such issue in seven months.

Obama Urged to Back Plan to List Owners of Shell Firms

Anticorruption activists have urged President Obama to back a plan to publicly register the owners of shell companies in the United States and around the world, a move they say is essential to thwart corrupt government officials, tax evaders and money launderers who rely on an opaque financial system.

Severn Trent rejects third takeover proposal from LongRiver consortium

Severn Trent took just a few hours on Friday evening to reject a third, improved takeover proposal from a consortium of determined financial investors seeking to take the FTSE 100 water firm private in a £5.3bn deal.

Wal-Mart Yearly Meeting Follows a Narrow Script

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There were two Wal-Marts on display at the company’s shareholder meeting on Friday: the one Wal-Mart presented, and the one some investors and activists were complaining about.

Vodafone pays no UK corporation tax for second year running

Vodafone paid no UK corporation tax for a second year running last year as the world's second-largest mobile phone company benefited from tax breaks related to a multibillion-pound investment in spectrum licences and infrastructure.

General Motors CEO says dividend, share buyback possible

DETROIT: General Motors CEO Dan Akerson says the company's finances are sound enough to consider paying a dividend or even buying more stock from the US government.

Dell committee says Michael Dell deal better than Icahn proposal

NEW YORK: Dell says a buyout offer from shareholder Southeastern and billionaire investor Carl Icahn is about $3.9 billion short of the amount needed to pay shareholders as promised and operate the business.

Severn Trent rebuffs £5bn revised bid from LongRiver Partners

The water company Severn Trent has rejected a £4.96bn revised bid from a consortium of investors on the grounds that it failed to recognise the long-term future and potential of the company.

Japan Airlines finds fault on Boeing's modified Dreamliner: Reports

TOKYO: Japan Airlines found a fault with a modified Dreamliner on Sunday, reports said, a day after it resumed full operation of Boeing's flagship 787 fleet following battery problems.

Mitsubishi to buy grain company Los Gobo Ceagro do Brasil: Nikkei

Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp plans to acquire Brazilian grain company Los Grobo Ceagro do Brasil in a deal worth about 50 billion yen ($495 million), the Nikkei said on Friday.

Vodafone drops bid to run network in Burma amid human rights worries

Vodafone has pulled out of plans to build a mobile network in Burma, days before it was due to submit its final licence bid.The operator formed a joint venture with China Mobile and was preparing to deliver its formal bid to Burmese authorities on Monday.

Lloyds raises another £3.3bn in US mortgage bond deal

Lloyds has raised another £3.3bn as it continues to strengthen its reserves and dispose of assets that are not part of its main UK banking business.