Euro zone government borrowing costs slid to new lows on Thursday, a day after the European Central Bank pledged to fulfill its 1 trillion euro bond-buying program, although regional stocks took a step back from this week's multi-year peaks.
Europe
Greece scrapes bottom of barrel in hunt for cash to stay afloat
Greece will need to tap all the remaining cash reserves across its public sector -- a total of 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion) -- to pay civil service wages and pensions at the end of the month, according to finance ministry officials.
Global stocks near all-time highs despite Greek drama
Global equities were set for their third straight weekly gain on Friday, hovering near fresh all-time highs as cheap central bank cash kept buoying markets and offset fears that Greece may run out of money as debt repayments loom.
Fiat Chrysler has no plans to list any other brand besides Ferrari: CEO
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) has no plans to list any other brand from its portfolio besides luxury unit Ferrari, FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told a shareholder meeting on Thursday.
France tells cigarette companies to use plain packs
France, home of historic Gitanes and Gauloises cigarettes with their iconic blue-and-white packaging, will require all tobacco companies to sell their wares in plain boxes from next year in an anti-smoking crackdown.
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China's Huawei unveiled its flagship P8 and P8 Max smartphones on Wednesday, devices that stack up against the latest models from Samsung and Apple in technical specifications if not marketing budget.
The European Union accused Google Inc on Wednesday of cheating consumers and competitors by distorting Web search results to favor its own shopping service, after a five-year investigation that could change the rules for business online.
The third-largest shareholder in Holcim (HOLN.VX) said it was leaning toward supporting the Swiss cement maker's merger with French rival Lafarge (LAFP.PA), according to an interview with Swiss newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft.
Nestle (NESN.VX) is in exclusive talks to sell its frozen food unit Davigel to food service operator Brakes Group as part of a drive to trim its sprawling portfolio.
The Frankfurt-listed shares of Internet companies Yahoo and Facebook outperformed those of rival Google, after media reports that Google would face anti-trust action from the European Union.
Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) first leadership crisis in a decade has burst into the open with Chairman Ferdinand Piech's surprise public denunciation of CEO Martin Winterkorn -- but the standoff is now more likely to play out behind closed doors.
Brent crude oil prices rose above $59 a barrel on Wednesday amid tension in the Middle East and signs of a dip in U.S. production, but gains were capped by a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicating that supplies would take longer to tighten than previously expected.
European shares hit a 14-year high on Wednesday before a meeting at which the European Central Bank is expected to affirm its loose policy stance, as weak data from China raised prospects of monetary easing there too.
Russian tycoon, Alisher Usmanov, is to finance the restoration of one of ancient Rome's biggest public buildings, topping up the funding that Italy urgently needs to prop up its crumbling monuments after three years of recession.
