British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday he had received assurances that Britain will not be asked to contribute to any new bailout of indebted Greece now under discussion among European leaders. Cameron said during a visit to Prague that the European Financial Stability Mechanism, a facility funded by all EU members, should not

Syrian troops massed near the Turkish border, witnesses said on Thursday, raising tensions with Ankara as President Bashar al-Assad uses increasing military force against a popular revolt. Hundreds of terrified refugees crossed into Turkey to escape an army assault, witnesses said. Syrian troops stormed the village of Managh, in a rural region just north of

 * To plug gov’t deficit, no measures to cut public payroll * Cyprus companies that have shown profits for the past three years will pay an interim tax of 1,000 euros for the next two years to help bolster state finances. "If, from among the 170,000 companies registered in Cyprus 100,000 pay, we estimate an

British bookmaker Ladbrokes has made a preliminary takeover approach for rival Sportingbet , sending Sportingbet's shares surging higher. "Further to recent press speculation, the board of Sportingbet announces that it has received a highly preliminary approach from Ladbrokes plc, which may or may not lead to an offer being made to purchase the entire issued

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao heads to debt-stricken Europe seeking to safeguard China's vast holdings of euro-denominated assets as Greece teeters on the brink of default and preserve trade growth with its largest trading partner. A senior diplomat stressed ahead of the June 24-28 visit to Hungary, Britain and Germany that China's vital interests are at

Pop superstar Lady Gaga, in Japan for a charity concert, on Thursday praised the country for its beauty and encouraged visitors, whose numbers have dropped in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, to return. One of the best selling pop acts today, Lady Gaga has been active in fundraising for victims of

Investors reacted with caution on Thursday to a relatively downbeat outlook from the U.S. Federal Reserve, sending world stocks lower and boosting the dollar in a search for safety. Europe's debt crisis added to the mood, with a summit of European leaders beginning later in the day due to focus on the Greek bailout. On

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, a political battering ram picked to turn around his country's economic fortunes, may find the force of his oratory not enough to convince sceptical markets and EU partners. A law professor turned politician, Venizelos, 54, is legendary for his public speaking and sharp intellect, which will prove key tools in

The euro zone would be better off without Greece, a conservative member of Germany's ruling coalition said in an article on Thursday, urging his government to push for an orderly insolvency process for sovereign states. "Greece would be better served with the drachma and the euro better served without Greece," said Georg Nuesslein, parliamentary economic

Belgium has asked banks and insurers with exposure to Greece to roll over maturing sovereign bonds for five years at a coupon equivalent to the euro zone rescue fund's lending rate, a newspaper reported on Thursday. Business daily De Tijd said the Belgian central bank had made the request at a meeting on Wednesday that