European shares were up 0.7 percent around midday on Friday, adding to the previous session's sharp rebound as robust macro data from China spurred gains in resource-related stocks such as BHP Billiton. But investors remained cautious ahead of key U.S. monthly retail sales data, due at 1330 GMT, that could shed more light on the
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Stock index futures rose on Friday as investors awaited data that could provide a look at the health of the consumer, including reports on retail sales and consumer sentiment. The main focus will be the Commerce Department release of November retail sales at 8:30 a.m. EST. Economists in a Reuters survey expect an 0.7 percent
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Unknown persons violated the grave of former President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos, who passed away last year, and removed the body on Thursday night, a few hours ahead of the first annual memorial service. According to available information, unknown persons removed the body from the coffin and disappeared. The Police have cordoned
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Britain's top shares were 0.8 percent higher at midday on Friday, supported by strength in heavyweight miners and oils after upbeat industrial data from China, with investors' awaiting U.S retail sales numbers. At 1156 GMT, the FTSE 100 was 42.22 points higher at 5,286.59, extending Thursday's gains when the index closed up 0.8 percent. "The
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The European Union increased pressure on the International Monetary Fund on Friday to consider a global tax on financial transactions to limit the risk of another economic crisis. Responding to public outrage over bankers' big bonuses, EU leaders also underlined the need for "sound and effective" financial sector pay in a draft statement at a
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U.S. researchers have found a drug-free way to block fearful memories, opening up the possibility of new treatment approaches for problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, they reported on Wednesday. The findings in people build on studies in rats that showed that reactivating a memory — by showing people objects that stimulate the fearful
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A full breakdown of national accounts figures for the third quarter showed a slightly less pessimistic picture than the flash estimate published a few weeks ago. The revised data estimate that real GDP growth contracted by 2.5% (not seasonally adjusted) over the same period of the previous year in the third quarter, compared with a
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World stocks extended gains and oil rebounded on Friday as upbeat data from China and the United States underscored an economic recovery, weighing on safe-haven government bonds and the low-yielding yen. China's industrial output accelerated in November to a higher-than-expected 19.2 percent from a year earlier, its fastest pace since June 2007. Imports surged 26.7
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The top sovereign credit ratings of Britain and the United States are not under threat of a downgrade right now, but a worst case scenario foresees a cut by 2013, analysts from Moody's Investors Service said on Friday. The comments, which reiterated an analysis from the ratings agency released on Tuesday, helped to lift the
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Cyprus expects the EU to continue its collective efforts to tackle the global financial crisis, maintain a social direction to protect vulnerable groups of the population, take further social measures to reduce the impact of the crisis on the citizens, and take steps towards development, according to Cypriot government sources. The sources, speaking on the
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