Global stocks rose to their highest in two weeks on Thursday while the dollar sagged after recent upbeat U.S. data and ahead of the key non-farm payrolls report. Improving risk appetite also helped drive commodity prices higher and boosted demand for higher-yielding currencies such as the New Zealand dollar, which hit two-week highs against the

Nokia Oyj unveiled on Thursday four new cheap phone models, and a first bicycle charger from the world's top cellphone maker, aiming to protect its dominant market share on emerging markets. Nokia controls more than 50 percent of phone sales in India and Africa, and has a strong prosition on most other emerging markets. "Tens

Greece will appoint a new head for its statistics service next week as it attempts to restore some of the credibility lost by a massive underestimate of the government's budget deficit, the finance minister said on Thursday. "We will be appointing the new head (of the statistics service) with a four-fifths majority in parliament to

The solution of the Cyprus problem depends mainly on Turkey, President Demetris Christofias has pointed out, adding that a political settlement can only be found if Ankara decides to comply with UN resolutions and international law. Speaking in Nicosia on Thursday, President Christofias said that the Greek Cypriot side reiterates its political will to continue

A Japanese central banker warned on Thursday that market turmoil from Europe's debt woes could hurt growth and urged the government to fix its tattered finances, as the ruling party raced to pick Japan's fifth premier in three years. Japan's ruling Democratic Party will vote on Friday to pick a new leader after unpopular Yukio

French-inspired plans to create an "economic government" for the euro zone took a step forward on Wednesday when European Council President Herman Van Rompuy threw his weight behind the idea. The move raised pressure on Germany, Europe's biggest economy and chief crusader for tougher budget discipline, to accept a new political forum to coordinate economic

Disagreements over how quickly to reduce billowing budget deficits and restore balance to the global economy risk straining high-level Group of 20 talks starting on Thursday. A plunge in the euro and in global stock markets, triggered by fears that Greece's debt woes could spread to other euro zone countries, has added urgency to the

House prices in Britain rose by 0.5 percent in May, half the rate of the previous two months but enough to lift property values within 10 percent of their 2007 peak, a survey showed on Thursday. The Nationwide building society said the increase meant prices had risen 12.2 percent since February 2009 and were just

Two Greek banks are looking for buyers, who could be from across the Aegean in Turkey, according to a Turkish investment banker working on a possible deal. "We have a mandate from a small and a mid-sized Greek bank to explore the interest of potential buyers," Erol User, CEO of Istanbul-based investment banking firm USER