International News

  London / AFP Britain will enter EU exit talks in a strong position, finance minister Philip Hammond declared Wednesday, after data revealed economic growth unexpectedly accelerated in the run-up to the Brexit referendum. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a first estimate for April-June, which included ...

  Bloomberg U.S. index futures climbed as Apple Inc. led technology shares higher and investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s update for clues on the timing of interest-rates increases. Apple rose 5.8 percent in early New York trading after posting a smaller-than-expected revenue decline as its cheaper iPhone model gained more traction. Suppliers Qorvo Inc. and Skyworks Solutions Inc. gained in ...

  Brussels / AFP The European Commission on Wednesday backed away from slapping fines on Spain and Portugal for running high deficits, in what would have been a landmark move by the EU to impose tough budget rules. Under bloc regulations, the EU executive could have imposed fines of up to 0.2 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP) against ...

  Frankfurt / AFP European banks are lending more to consumers and businesses but not enough to boost economic growth, analysts said on Wednesday based on new figures from the European Central Bank. Loans from eurozone banks to households and companies grew 1.1 percent in June, the same pace as in April and May, the European Central Bank said on ...

  Bloomberg GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the U.K.’s biggest drugmaker, reported second-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates and raised its forecast for the year as sales of new products doubled. Profit excluding certain costs surged 42 percent to 24.5 pence from a year earlier, the London-based company said in a statement on Wednesday. That topped the 21-pence average of analyst estimates compiled ...

  Nicosia / AFP ExxonMobil, ENI and Total are among eight energy giants bidding to drill for undersea oil and gas off the southern coast of Cyprus, officials said Wednesday. Companies from Europe, the US, Qatar and Israel are bidding for three new drilling licenses, Cypriot Energy Minister George Lakkotrypis told reporters. “The government is especially satisfied with the quality ...

  Frankfurt / AFP Germany’s chemicals giants showed sharply differing results on Wednesday, with Bayer enjoying strong growth on pharmaceuticals while oil blackened BASF’s outlook. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals powerhouse Bayer upped its growth forecasts for the year after a strong second quarter saw profits surge by 19 percent. While revenues fell 1.4 percent to 11.8 billion euros ($13 billion), profits ...

  Bloomberg China National Petroleum Corp. said its Changqing oil field, the country’s biggest crude and gas producer, rebounded from losses earlier this year to post a first-half profit amid reduced spending. Oil and gas equivalent output from the field reached 26.5 million tons in the first six months of the year, on its way to meeting the 50-million-ton annual ...

  AFP Scientists from India, the United States and Japan have struck upon a large natural gas deposit in the Bay of Bengal, the first potentially producible discovery of its kind in the Indian Ocean. A research expedition carried out jointly by the three countries discovered the natural gas hydrate — an ice-like form of the fuel — off India’s ...

  Bloomberg Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.’s profit climbed 23 percent as demand for its Vitara Brezza sport utility vehicle led a more than doubling of sales in India’s fastest-growing segment. Net income in the quarter through June rose to 14.9 billion rupees ($221 million) from 12.1 billion rupees a year earlier, the New Delhi-based unit of Suzuki Motor Corp. said ...