The telephone empire of billionaire Carlos Slim and Mexico's dominant broadcaster never see eye to eye, but they now have a common enemy: the government's telecommunications reform plan.

President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration introduced in the Senate this week legislation to implement the constitutional reform that passed in the Congress last year.

Taiwan tech giant Hon Hai Precision, the world's largest contract manufacturer for electronics, saw its net profit rise 12.7 percent on-year in 2013, bolstered by demand for Apple's new products.

Hon Hai, better-known as Foxconn, is the world's biggest iPhone and iPad maker and saw its profits rise thanks to the release of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in September 2013.

Moody's put Russia's credit rating on review for a possible downgrade Friday, saying the Ukraine crisis could exacerbate its already troubled economy.

The ratings agency's Investor Service said that if the review confirms that Russia's economic strength is being eroded by the situation, it could lead to a one-notch cut in the country's Baa1 rating.

General Motors recalled nearly 1.5 million vehicles on Friday including for possible problems with ignitions blamed for 12 deaths.

Last month, GM called back 1.6 million cars amid questions over why it had taken years to address an ignition defect it knew about as early as 2001.

The world's richest countries will borrow less from the market this year than at any time since 2007, the OECD said Friday, as governments tighten their belts in the wake of the debt crisis.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that the net new borrowing needs of its 34 member countries would fall to $1.5 trillion (1.09 trillion euros) this year.

There is "no sensible alternative" to Russian gas to meet Europe's energy needs, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Friday.

Many people acted as if there plenty of other sources from which Europe could draw its gas, but this is not the case, Gabriel told a energy forum organised by the local daily Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung on Thursday.

Spain reported Friday its first fall in consumer prices in more than four years, feeding fears that the eurozone could fall into the grip of a deflationary spiral.

Consumer prices fell at annual rate of 0.2 percent in March after crawling 0.1-percent higher the previous month, the National Statistics Office said in a preliminary report that surprised market analysts.

French gas group GDF Suez revealed on Friday a giant deal, the first of its kind, to ship liquefied natural gas from the United States to supply Taiwan.

The contract, of undisclosed value, will include natural gas from shale production, and is a sign of huge changes in global energy markets driven largely by the shale energy revolution in North America.

Jean-Romain Beltinor plunged a hoe into the rocky dirt on his parched hillside to prepare for planting seeds he does not have.

After months of drought in northwest Haiti, the subsistence farmer struggles to find food for his 13 children. To earn a little money, he must turn to work that only makes things worse, cutting what little wood remains for charcoal.

The International Monetary Fund announced on Thursday a $14-$18 billion bailout for Ukraine to avert bankruptcy for the crisis-hit country amid its escalating standoff with Russia.

The agreement in principle, worth the equivalent of 10.8-13.1 billion euros, is tied to tough reform conditions which will have a big impact on the Ukrainian economy and people.