Major automakers Friday reported another month of strong U.S. sales in July, with many of the biggest gains coming in trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Uruguay, the first country to fully legalize the production, sale and distribution of marijuana, called for bids Friday from private growers who want to farm cannabis in a public field.

The U.S. judge presiding over Argentina's bitter dispute with two hedge funds left the country stranded in default Friday, ordering it to hold new negotiations and calling for an end to "mistrust."

Sharp said Friday it logged a $17.4 million net loss for the three months to June, but added it still expected a full-year profit as the Japanese electronics giant tries to move past years of record losses.

The Osaka-based company lost 1.79 billion yen in the period, well down from a 17.98 billion yen shortfall a year ago, which it said was largely due to one-time factors.

Chinese manufacturing activity increased sharply in July, rising at its fastest pace in more than two years, an official survey showed Friday, as the world's second-largest economy shows signs of increasing momentum.

The official purchasing managers index (PMI) hit 51.7 last month, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

For millions of school children they are the must have fashion accessory of the moment. Footballer David Beckham and Britain's Prince William have sported them. Even Pope Francis has been photographed wearing a few.

Loom bands -- colorful rubber bands woven together into bracelets and other items -- are the latest craze to sweep playgrounds everywhere from New York to Singapore.

No one doubts the latest EU and US economic sanctions on Russia will inflict significant costs, but whether they can force Moscow to reverse course in Ukraine is a completely different question.

Argentina blamed the United States on Thursday for the legal battle that forced it to miss a debt payment and, despite ratings agencies' declarations to the contrary, denied being in default.

Ratings agency Fitch declared Argentina in "restrictive default" Thursday after 11th-hour talks failed to resolve the country's dispute with two U.S. hedge funds that refuse to accept a write-down on their Argentine bonds.

U.S. electric automaker Tesla Motors reported Thursday a widening loss in the past quarter amid record revenues as it ramped up plans for a giant battery plant for future vehicles.

The loss in the quarter ending June 30 was $61.9 million, compared with $30.5 million in the same period a year ago, while revenues jumped more than 90 percent to $769 million.

German sportswear and equipment maker Adidas issued a profit warning for 2014 on Thursday due to geopolitical tensions and troubles in its golf division, sending its shares tumbling more than 11 percent.

The company said net profit for the year would only reach about 650 million euros ($870 million), much lower than the 830-930 million euros originally forecast.