Britain's top share index rose on Thursday morning in low volumes, after eight days of loses and ahead of British GDP data and with U.S. markets closed for a holiday. Miners and banking stocks rallied, helping London's blue-chip index gain 16.05 points, or 0.3%, to 5,155.83 by 0903 GMT, having closed at its lowest level
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German business sentiment rose unexpectedly in November for the first time in nearly half a year, suggesting Europe's largest economy is weathering the euro zone debt crisis and turmoil in international markets better than experts had feared. The Munich-based Ifo think tank said its business climate index, based on a monthly survey of some 7,000
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy will press German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday to let the European Central Bank act decisively to rescue the euro zone from a deepening sovereign debt crisis now hitting Germany. French officials hope Berlin will relent in its opposition to a greater crisis-fighting role for the ECB after Germany itself suffered
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* First Cyprus team to reach Champions League knockout round * APOEL Nicosia became the first team from Cyprus to reach the Champions League knockout stage after holding Zenit St Petersburg to a 0-0 draw in a scrappy Group G match on Wednesday. The Cypriot champions continued their dream run by withstanding a furious onslaught
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* Diar upset as Cyprus tries to prop up price * A high-level Qatari delegation is expected in Cyprus over the next few days to determine whether the multi-million luxury office and hotel project in Nicosia, already a year behind schedule, will go ahead after all. The deal seems to have faltered on the government’s
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Conservative leader Antonis Samaras offered a written pledge to the EU and IMF on Wednesday backing Greece's bailout deal, but whether his letter was enough to satisfy the exasperated lenders and unblock funds to stave off bankruptcy remained unclear. A vital sixth tranche of aid for the debt-choked country has been held up by his
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A "disastrous" German bond sale on Wednesday sparked fears that Europe's debt crisis was even starting to threaten Berlin, with the leaders of the euro zone's two biggest economies still firmly at odds over a longer-term structural solution. Investors were also unnerved by reports that Belgium is leaning on France to pay more into emergency
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* Turkey says attempts to tap reserves illegal * Cyprus on Wednesday formally decided to launch a new hydrocarbons licensing round, buoyed by growing indications of natural gas deposits and defying old foe Turkey, which disputes its exploration rights. The cabinet said it decided to invite proposals for up to 12 offshore plots. An additional
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President Demetris Christofias has called for understanding to help meet the financial challenges. «Our job and duty is to reach the necessary understanding in order to deal with the adverse financial prospects that lie ahead,” the President said today, when asked to comment on a letter by EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli
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Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Roman Shirokov has dismissed Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia as nothing more than Champions League pretenders as the group phase approaches its climax. Shirokov boldly predicted outright victory for his team when the Russian champions host surprise Group G leaders APOEL in a penultimate round match on Wednesday. "I think you can
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