International News
Europe close: German stocks give back gains amid political impasse
Stocks ended the session modestly lower as traders waited for the release of the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's last rate-setting meeting in the evening and monitored the news-flow out of Germany, amid speculation that a 'grand coalition' between Germany's two main political parties, the centre-right CDU/CSU and the Socialist SPD, may yet be possible.
Lebanon prime minister Hariri retracts resignation
Saad al-Hariri has revoked his resignation as Lebanon's prime minister, according to a local news report on Wednesday.
US open: Shares hold ground ahead of FOMC minutes
Wall Street is holding its ground following the record highs set the day before, albeit amid lighter than usual trading volumes ahead of the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, with investors looking to the release of the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee.
Former Zimbabwean vice-president Mnangagwa set to take over after exile
Zimbabwe’s former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to take over from the ousted Robert Mugabe after returning to the country following a period of exile.
US consumer confidence holds near best level since 2004, good signal for Xmas
Americans are looking confidently to the future in a potentially strong signal for spending over the Christmas holidays, according to the results of closely-followed survey.
Eurozone consumer confidence jumps in November
Consumer confidence in the single currency bloc shot higher in November, according to the executive arm of the European Union.
Durable goods orders fall in October, weighed down by volatile aircraft component
Orders for goods made to last more than three years slowed much more quickly than expected last month amid a decline in those for aircraft, both civilian and military.
US initial jobless claims drop a little more than expected
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell a touch more than expected last week, according to data from the Labor Department.
UN tribunal convicts Ratko Mladic of Bosnian war genocide
Former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic has been convicted of genocide by a UN tribunal in The Hague for atrocities committed during the Yugoslavian civil war in the 1990s.
Asia report: Most markets higher as oil prices rise further
Markets in Asia were mostly higher on Wednesday, with Hong Kong’s benchmark breaking through the 30,000 level, following a strong session on Wall Street overnight.
Fresh elections in Germany still most likely outcome, Berenberg says
The German state has not been left moribund by the recent failure of talks aimed at forming a new coalition government, nor will it significantly derail a push for reforming the euro area's architecture or the Brexit negotiations, a top-rated economist said.
US pre-open: Stocks to nudge up ahead of FOMC minutes
US futures pointed to a marginally firmer open on Wall Street on Wednesday following record highs in the previous session, as investors looked to the minutes of the latest FOMC meeting.
Uber's massive data breach raises 'huge concerns' for UK regulator
Ride-hailing app Uber is facing more controversy after it admitted to concealing a data breach of the details of 57m customers, leading the UK's data protection authority to express its "huge concerns" around "policies and ethics" at the US company.
US close: Markets push higher on bullish chatter
Markets on Wall Street finished higher on Tuesday amid a 'bullish' call on stocks out of Goldman Sachs, and against a backdrop of supportive economic data.