Global stock markets were heading for their best week of the year on Friday following reassuring company results, encouraging data from the world's biggest economies and signs the ECB is upping its efforts to lift Europe.
Europe
Italian lawmakers plan free Wi-Fi to bridge digital gap with Europe
Italian lawmakers have put forward a proposal for free Wi-Fi in thousands of public places to bridge a gap with other European countries in broadband penetration, e-government and other digital services that is dragging on the economy.
International financial watchdog warns on Iran, North Korea
An international financial watchdog said on Friday member states should take action to ward off risks emanating from Iran and North Korea, which it said had failed to tackle money-laundering and financing of terrorism.
ECB tests find 800-850 million euro shortfall at PTSB: source
European bank stress tests have found that Ireland's permanent tsb (PTSB) (IPM.I) had a capital shortfall of 800 million to 850 million euros at the end of 2013, a source familiar with the process said on Friday.
Napoleon's two-cornered hat up for grabs at French auction
Rarely have a man and his hat been so linked in the collective imagination as Napoleon and his black, two-cornered hat. Next month, a "bicorne" felt hat thought to have belonged to the French emperor will be up for auction in Fontainebleau in what the auctioneer calls the "sale of a century" for fans of the legendary leader.
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If the European Central Bank really wants to kick-start the euro zone economy, it should ensure the bloc's banks are up to the task of lending.
Drugmakers are looking for some kind of indemnity from governments or multilateral agencies against possible losses or claims arising from the widespread emergency use of new Ebola vaccines in Africa.
Private equity firms are circling Bayer's (BAYGn.DE) 10 billion-euro ($12.7 billion) plastics business, hoping to divert the German drugmaker from its plan to list the division, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
A dramatic upswing in volatility is putting post-crisis financial markets to the test, as curbs on banks' ability to take risks and an increase in technology-driven trading expose potential new cracks in the system.
The incoming head of the EU executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, told the European Parliament on Wednesday that he would present his 300-billion-euro plan for investment to bolster growth and jobs by the end of this year.
Hungary's government plans to levy a new tax on Internet data transfers, according to the draft 2015 tax bill submitted to parliament late on Tuesday, which could hit Internet providers and the country's telecommunications companies.
British insurer Standard Life (SL.L) and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) (601398.SS) said on Wednesday they had agreed to look at developing savings and investment services together.
European shares edged up and the euro hit a one-week low against the dollar on Wednesday, driven by upbeat company earnings results and hopes of corporate bond buying by the European Central Bank.
German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) is close to a deal to sell its IT infrastructure unit to IBM (IBM.N), including an outsourcing agreement for the services, as part of a shake-up of its technology activities, it said on Wednesday.
