The European Central Bank held interest rates at a record low on Thursday and extended its liquidity safety-net in response to a lopsided recovery and worries about vulnerable banks.
AP - THE SITUATION: Indicators are pointing up at the European Central Bank, which may be about to raise its 2010 economic projections. But that brightening picture is being increasingly darkened by fears about the recovery in the U.S.
AP - Spain's deficit is down sharply thanks to an unpopular cocktail of tax hikes and austerity cuts — good news for a government fighting to ward off fears it might need a bailout like the one that saved Greece from bankruptcy.
Asian and European stocks rose on Wednesday, lifted by bargain-hunting and upbeat data, as dealers set aside Wall Street's worst August performance in nine years amid stubborn US recovery doubts.
AP - IT'S OVER: British bank HSBC Holdings PLC has sold its last U.S. auto finance businesses to Spain's Santander for about $3.56 billion in cash, completing its exit from a market that cost it billions during the financial meltdown.
AP - Inflation in the 16 countries that use the euro fell in August, official figures showed Tuesday, reinforcing market expectations that the European Central Bank will not be raising borrowing costs this year.
The German unemployment rate was stable in August at 7.6 percent of the workforce, official figures showed on Tuesday as the number of people seeking work edged slightly lower to 3.188 million people.
AP - British bank HSBC Holdings PLC said Tuesday it has sold its last U.S. auto finance businesses to Spain's Santander for about $3.56 billion in cash, completing its exit from a market that cost it billions during the financial crisis.
Europe's main stock markets dived at the start of trading on Tuesday, following heavy overnight losses in New York and then in Asia as investors worried about weak US data and the strength of the yen.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi threw a gala evening for his friend Moammar Gadhafi Monday, thanking him for strengthened ties between Tripoli and Rome and dismissing as behind the times those criticizing the Libyan leader for trying to convert Italians to Islam during the visit.
