International News
Europe close: Stocks finish near highs, China woes and euro gains weigh on German shares
Stocks finished near their best levels of the day, having mounted a comeback following early weakness that was attributed to an overnight drop in Chinese equities on the heels of continued upwards pressure on bond yields in the Asian giant.
South African Reserve Bank pauses interest rates ahead of debt rating decision
South Africa's central bank opted to leave interest rates on hold on Thursday, but the country is still facing several hurdles on Friday when several key ratings agencies are set to choose whether to downgrade the country's debt.
Canadian retail sales held back by declines in vehicles and clothing
Recently collated data from Statistics Canada revealed a significantly lower than expected rise in Canadian retail sales in September, as gains from higher gasoline prices were offset by declines in sales of vehicles and clothing.
Belgian business confidence rises above forecasts in November
Business confidence in Belgium rose more than expected in November, led by a sharp improvement in sentiment in busines-related services and construction.
Facebook to inform users that interacted with Russian bots
US tech giant Facebook has announced it will show users of the social network whether it interacted with pages set up by Russian bots during the presidential election last year.
Iranian authorities give jailed British aid worker December court date
Iran informed jailed Iranian-British aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Thursday that she would be appearing in front of a court in December to face accusations of spreading propaganda.
Several ECB rate-setters push to de-link forward guidance from QE, minutes show
European Central Bank rate-setters believe their so-called 'forward guidance' has helped to anchor interest rate expectations within the bloc, the minutes of their last deliberations reveal, but several also pushed for more flexibility to allow for a quicker end to their asset purchases.
Asia report: Markets mixed as Japan takes holiday
Markets in Asia were quieter on Thursday, with stocks in China sinking and oil prices softer after a subdued session on Wall Street overnight.
'Immediate action' required to stabilise Zimbabwe's economy - IMF
The International Monetary Fund has warned of the consequences of the Zimbabwean government not taking action to combat the country’s economic crisis.
Eurozone manufacturing and services PMIs fly higher in November
A new six-year year high for eurozone manufacturing and services sentiment pushed the single currency higher on Thursday morning, as the strengthening 'Euroboom' put the UK's low growth firmly in the shade.
Major Apple iPhone supplier puts end to illegal overtime for interns
One of Apple’s biggest suppliers for its new iPhone X device has stopped the practice of interns working illegal overtime at its plant in China.
Many on FOMC believe low inflation may also reflect persistent factors, minutes show
Central bankers in the States are pretty much set on raising their benchmark interest rate again when they meet again on 12-13 December, but the pace at which they will continue to do so in 2018 is less clear, the minutes of their policy meeting have revealed.
US close: Wall Street mixed ahead of Thanksgiving holiday
Wall Street finished mixed on Wednesday, following the record highs set the day before and amid lighter-than-usual trading volumes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.