Deutsche Telekom considered making a takeover bid for Dutch rival KPN in 2014, with a view to expanding in neighboring countries, sources familiar with the matter said.
Sectors
Greek central bank asks ECB to allow emergency bank lending line if needed
Greece's central bank has moved to protect its banks from any fallout from the coming general election, asking the European Central Bank to approve a stand-by domestic emergency funding line, a Bank of Greece official said on Saturday.
China central bank scholar sees GDP growth up to 7.3 percent in 2015: Xinhua
China's economic growth may be as high as 7.3 percent this year, partly due to falling commodity prices, the official Xinhua news agency quoted an academic advisor to the central bank's monetary policy committee as saying on Saturday.
RWE to close gas unit sale to Russian tycoon by early March
German utility RWE will complete the sale of oil and gas unit DEA [RWEDE.UL] to Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman by early March, it said on Friday, easing fears of a potential collapse.
U.S. crude hits session high after consumer sentiment report
U.S. crude traded above $48 on Friday after the University of Michigan released a report showing U.S. consumer sentiment reached its highest level in more than a decade in December.
Latest News
China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N), the world's biggest e-commerce company, is piloting a mobile messaging app aimed at marrying social networking with business, an Alibaba spokeswoman said on Friday, as the company expands its enterprise services.
The New York Post said some of its Twitter accounts were hacked on Friday, in the wake of a series of inaccurate posts on the social network relating to the Federal Reserve, Bank of America and U.S. military engagement with China.
Google Inc is in talks to buy mobile-payments company Softcard, technology news website TechCrunch reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
When the Airbus (AIR.PA) A350 jet made its commercial debut with Qatar Airways this week, the event marked a milestone for engine supplier Rolls-Royce (RR.L), but slipping unnoticed under the radar with financing was its arch-rival General Electric (GE.N).
"Swiss Made" has traditionally stood for quality, precision and reliability. But after a shock move to scrap the cap on the franc, it could convey a less attractive message: Made more expensive.
China announced fresh support measures on Friday for its slowing economy after data showed a worrying drop in bank lending and foreign investment growth falling to a two-year low.
The White House on Thursday said legislation was not necessary to settle so-called "net neutrality" rules because the Federal Communications Commission had the authority to write them.
Brent crude oil rose more than $2 to around $50 a barrel on Friday after the West's energy watchdog forecast the market sell-off would end, although analysts said a strong rebound soon was unlikely as global output continued to outweigh demand.
GlaxoSmithKline is feeling the heat from the rapid growth in electronic cigarettes, with enthusiasm for the nicotine delivery devices dampening sales of the British drugmaker's patches and gum, its chief executive said.
