Business Briefs – August 21, 2017

Total Expands in North Sea With Purchase of Maersk Oil

LONDON (AP) – French oil company Total has agreed to buy the oil & gas division of Danish conglomerate AP Moller-Maersk for $7.45 billion. The deal Monday will see it become the No. 2 operator in the North Sea, where challenging deep-water drilling is required. Total said its purchase of Maersk Oil will shore up its position in the offshore waters of northwest Europe, which is the seventh-largest oil-and-gas producing region in the world.

Jury Awards $417m in Lawsuit Linking Talcum Powder To Cancer

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A Los Angeles jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million in a case to a woman who claimed in lawsuit that the talc in its iconic baby powder causes cancer. Los Angeles County Superior Court spokeswoman Liz Martinez confirmed the verdict Monday. California resident Eva Echeverria alleged the company failed to adequately warn consumers about talcum powder’s potential cancer risks. Johnson & Johnson says it will appeal the decision.

Google to Serve Next Version Of Android As ‘Oreo’

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – An upcoming update to Google’s Android software finally has a delectable name. The next version will be known as Oreo, extending Google’s tradition of identifying each new generation of the world’s leading mobile operating system with a sweet treat.

UK Promises to Prosecute Online Hate Crimes Vigorously

LONDON (AP) – British prosecutors are promising to prosecute hate crimes as vigorously online as in person. The new guidelines issued Monday suggests a tougher line on cyber hate attacks. Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, says hate crime “has a corrosive effect on our society and that is why it is a priority area.”