Markets

Cyprus president rules out debt, deposit writedown
Cyprus' new president ruled out on Thursday any writedown of the country's debt or bank deposits as part of a financial rescue package it's trying to ...
Dutch deficit on path to break European rules
Dutch government deficit spending is set to break European limits in both 2013 and 2014, a development that may compel Finance Minister Jeroen ...
Pension costs dent retailer Ahold's Q4 profits
Royal Ahold NV, the Dutch operator of U.S. supermarket chains Stop & Shop and Giant, has reported a 41 percent fall in fourth quarter profits as a ...
Italy turmoil raises questions about ECB backstop
Why has Italy's muddled election result spooked global investors so much? Because it raises unsettling questions about the availability of the ...
Oil steady as Fed's Bernanke eases concerns
The price of oil was little changed near $93 a barrel on Wednesday as markets digested the Federal Reserve chairman's fairly sanguine view about the ...
Spain's 2012 deficit falls, but not to level hoped
Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has conceded that the government just failed to reduce its budget deficit in 2012 to the level it promised ...
Britain agrees to scrap new tax in Turks & Caicos
The U.K. government has reluctantly agreed to plans scrapping a widely unpopular value-added tax in the Turks & Caicos Islands, relieving local ...
Bulgarian leader offers meeting with protesters
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said Tuesday he is inviting representatives of widespread protests to meet with officials to seek solutions to ...
Kerry pushes trans-Atlantic free trade in Germany
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pushed Tuesday for a free-trade agreement between the United States and Europe, saying it is a priority for ...
Oil falls as Italian election fuels market jitters
The price of oil fell below $93 a barrel on Tuesday, dragged down by the prospect that political uncertainty in Italy could rekindle Europe's debt ...
German Ifo index up in positive sign for economy
A key survey of German business optimism rose sharply in February, adding to the evidence that the country will avoid a recession. The Ifo index ...
Italian traditions provide buffers to the crisis
Self-made Italians like Amedeo Tartarini never expected to need help. Tartarini's goldsmith business thrived for decades in Italy's postwar boom.
EU official hopes for Canada free trade deal soon
The European Union's trade commissioner says he hopes to wrap up a trade deal with Canada soon, but the country must change its positions for that to ...
German chancellor champions trans-Atlantic trade
Chancellor Angela Merkel says a proposed trans-Atlantic trade agreement between the European Union and the United States has Germany's strong backing, ...
Greece's weakened workforce starts to crack
Looking out across a room full of reporters gathered to welcome French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday, Greece's President Karolos Papoulias ...
German court rejects freedom of information suit
A German court says a journalist can't use press freedom legislation to demand information from the country's foreign intelligence service — a ruling ...
BoE governor backed more stimulus for UK economy
The Bank of England expressed growing concern over Britain's economy and came surprisingly close to backing another monetary stimulus in a move that ...
German antitrust probe into Amazon pricing policy
Online retailer Amazon may have broken antitrust laws in Germany by banning third-party traders from selling their products cheaper elsewhere, ...
Greeks strike, march in protest against austerity
Tens of thousands of anti-austerity demonstrators took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday as unions staged a general strike to protest government ...
Portugal raises $2B in debt sale, cuts forecasts
Portugal raised €1.5 billion ($2 billion) in a debt sale at sharply lower rates Wednesday as the bailed-out country continues to benefit from ...
India, UK to cooperate in probing helicopter deal
India and Britain agreed Tuesday to work together to investigate any possible wrongdoing by a British company involved in a $750 million deal to sell ...
Bulgaria to revoke Czech power company license
Bulgaria announced Tuesday that the license held by a Czech company for power distribution in parts of the Balkan country will be revoked following ...
New Zealand plans logo-free cigarette packs
Strict against smoking already, New Zealand plans to make tobacco companies remove their logos from cigarette packs but will wait until a challenge ...
ECB's Draghi pushes for European bank bailout fund
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said Monday the 17-country eurozone must move swiftly to set up a joint fund to restructure and wind down ...
ECB: Cyprus aid with anti-money-laundering control
The European Central Bank chief says a financial rescue package for Cyprus must be accompanied by close and continuous monitoring of its progress in ...