French advertising giant Publicis put the chairman of its Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency on leave on Saturday, after he said the debate on gender bias in the industry was "all over."

U.S. regulators have issued subpoenas to Goldman Sachs for documents related to the investment giant's dealings with the 1MDB Malaysian state investment fund, a source close to the probe told Agence France Presse on Friday.

China's Fosun on Saturday signed an agreement to acquire Brazil-based investment management firm Rio Bravo, according to a statement, just a day after the Chinese conglomerate announced another massive overseas deal.

Fosun, which has interests ranging from property to mining, said it will buy the controlling share of privately-owned Rio Bravo Investimentos, but did not give a value for the deal. Fosun did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Profits at London property agency Foxtons slumped 42 percent in the first half of 2016, a sharp fall the company on Friday attributed to uncertainty around Britain's EU membership referendum.

Foxtons' pre-tax profits fell from £18.1 million (21.5 million euros, $23.8 million) in the first six months of the year, the company said.

Shares in Monte Paschi di Siena (BMPS) soared on the Milan stock exchange Friday, boosted by a possible new lifeline tabled by a veteran Italian banker and Swiss giant UBS.

The stock of BMPS, the world's oldest bank which has become the eurozone banking sector's problem child, rose over 10 percent at the opening on news of the plan, which could turn out to be a welcome alternative to drastic restructuring measures demanded by the European Central Bank.

French growth stagnated in the second quarter of the year, statistics bureau Insee reported Friday, a "disappointing" result that dashed hopes of a small economic expansion.

France's gross domestic product (GDP) showed no change in the three months to June, according to a first estimate, after rising a revised 0.7 percent in the first quarter.

The yen soared Friday and Asian stock markets slipped as the Bank of Japan's small adjustments to its stimulus program disappointed traders who had expected a huge boost to its arsenal.

After weeks of anticipation that the central bank would pump fresh cash into the economy, policymakers said only that they would boost its exposure to riskier investments, leaving a massive 80 trillion yen annual asset-buying program unchanged.

Delivering a message and sending an invitation for the frustrated Lebanese to rediscover their unique traditions and family memories as well as the faith in themselves, Arak Brun, one of the most established arak producers in Lebanon, has launched the "Lebnen Ello Ta3mé/Lebanon has Taste!” campaign.

Spain's oil giant Repsol said Thursday that its net profit fell 30 percent in the second quarter, with asset sales failing to compensate for restructuring costs.

British bank Lloyds will axe 3,000 more jobs by 2017, it said Thursday, as it braces for the Bank of England's widely-expected post-Brexit interest rate cut next week.

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has decided to extend its restructuring plans with the closure of 200 branches and 3,000 jobs by the end of next year, it revealed in an interim results statement.