VENTURE CAPITAL POST

U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Tuesday, with major indexes falling 1 percent in heavy trading, as weak data out of Germany raised concerns about the strength of global growth ahead of the start of earnings season.

World policymakers gather in Washington later this week to ponder how to sustain economic recovery at a time when the United States is about to turn off its money taps.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend a summit of European and Asian leaders on a trip starting next week that will also include a visit to Germany and the signing of energy and high-speed rail deals with Russia, the government said.

German sportswear maker Adidas, facing investor discontent over its underperforming share price, announced on Wednesday plans to return to shareholders as much as 1.5 billion euros ($1.9 billion) over the next three years.

Cable operator Tele Columbus [ESCALC.UL] became the latest German company to announce plans to float shares as the country's traditionally risk-averse companies warm to capital markets after Alibaba's record-breaking $25 billion listing.

Adidas (ADSGn.DE) needs world-class designers, brand experts and technical whizzkids to improve its image against U.S. rival Nike (NKE.N), but persuading them to move to its headquarters in rural Germany is difficult.

Courts in Berlin and Hamburg upheld bans on online transportation service Uber on Friday, saying the company did not comply with German laws on the carriage of passengers.

Germany's economy remains robust, the country's central bank said on Monday, predicting a generally positive end to the year despite a slowdown so far.

Workers at German warehouses of online retailer Amazon.com took strike action again on Monday as labor union Verdi pressed its demands in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

Germany's defense ministry is demanding price cuts and longer cancellation periods on the A400M military airlifters it has ordered from Airbus, but which will be delivered later and less equipped than planned, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Germany and France will try to reconcile divergent visions of how to fix Europe's economy on Monday when Manuel Valls makes his first visit to Berlin as French prime minister and holds talks with Angela Merkel.

German lender Commerzbank AG (CBKG.DE) is nearing agreement with U.S. authorities over its dealings with Iran and other countries under U.S. sanctions, sources familiar with the matter said.

Berlin has banned car service Uber, which allows users to summon a ride on their smartphone, for not offering drivers and vehicles licensed to carry passengers, or full insurance cover, the German capital said.

Asian shares held firm while the euro hit one-year lows on Tuesday as investors increasingly expect the European Central Bank to expand liquidity as soon as next week to boost the sagging euro zone economy.

Private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners said it would buy container maker Berlin Packaging LLC for $1.43 billion from Bahrain-based investment firm Investcorp Bank BSC INVB.BH.