A source told Reuters that Naguib Sawiris, America Movil and AT&T made preliminary contact with the core investors in Telecom Italia who wanted to exit the company.

Tele2 said it would want to increase its market share in the mobile telephone market in the Netherlands to 20% after the roll out of its own network.

Osram Licht AG, RTL Group and Evonik Industries would be moved to the MDAX of the Frankfurt bourse. Three major German firms would be added to the country's mid-cap index MDAX after their stocks were floated in the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the earlier part of the year.

In a town hall meeting, Jeff Bezos reassured the editorial staff of his recently purchased Washington Post of optimism in the digital age and continued independent journalism.

Impax Asset Management announced its acquisition of two wind farms in Northern Finland. London-based Impax Asset Management Group said it had purchased two wind farms from Fortum Oyg and Metsahallitus.

China National Petroleum Corp bought a 20% stake in Novatek's Yamal liquified natural gas venture.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said there was unfair treatment to foreign firms in the China bribery probe.

A source told Reuters that La Caixa would be selling 51% of its stake in Servihabitat, a real estate firm, to TPG.

Dangote Group president and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote signed a loan worth USD3.3 billion with 12 local and international banks to fund a USD3 billion proposed oil refinery complex in Nigeria.

Bearings maker SKF agreed to buy US-based Kaydon Corporation for USD1.25 billion in cash. The world's biggest maker of bearings, SKF, said on Thursday that it had agreed on buying US-based Kaydon Corporation in the tune of USD1.