EUROPEAN UNION

- The Euro has pulled back from intra-day high at 1.4348 to test support at 1.4285 on the back of Trichet call to patience and prudence, on his Press release after the Bank announced its decision to keep its benchmark interest rate at 1.0%.

EU Commission Chief Jose Manuel Barroso said Tuesday that European economy still remains very volatile” despite some encouraging signs.

The Irish unit of Intel, the world's No. 1 chipmaker, on Thursday launched a campaign in favour of a Yes vote in the October referendum on the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty.

German carmaker Volkswagen and Dutch investment company Fleet Investments BV won approval from European Union regulators on Wednesday to take joint control of Dutch car leasing firm LeasePlan Corporation NV.

The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold at a record low on Thursday and said the euro zone economy would remain weak over the rest of the year, although the rate of contraction is slowing down.

The European Central Bank kept its main refinancing rate unchanged at a record low of 1.0 percent on Thursday, as expected by economists.

The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold at a record low on Thursday as it waits to see the impact of efforts so far to revive the economy and credit flows.

The European Central Bank is expected to keep interest rates on hold at a record low on Thursday as it waits to see the impact of efforts so far to revive the economy and credit flows.

The European Central Bank and Bank of England appeared set on Thursday to keep interest rates unchanged, prompting equity investors to extend their five-month rally but keeping currency and bond markets edgy.

Procter & Gamble Co posted an 18 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit as sales fell more than expected, and the company's shares slipped 2 percent even though it stood by its 2010 profit forecast.

The rally in global equities took a breather on Wednesday while the dollar hovered near its 2009 lows with two major central banks' policy meetings and key U.S. labor data looming.

One third of European Union citizens say they have never used the Internet, compared with 40 percent in 2007, an EU study showed on Tuesday.

The European Union (EU) said on Monday it'd levy 24% anti-dumping duty on China's steel and wire rod for a period of five years.

Microsoft has offered to let users choose their own browser and provide more interoperability information to third parties in a bid to resolve two antitrust cases, EU regulators said on Friday.

World stocks clung close to nine-month highs on Wednesday with some profit taking in Europe keeping a lid on further gains and cautious words from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke dampening sentiment.

Production of biodiesel in the European Union rose by more than 35 percent in 2008 and capacity will grow again this year although half the plants are idle due to poor demand, the EU producers group said on Wednesday.

The European Parliament elected ex-Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek as its president on Tuesday, making him the first leader from a former Soviet bloc country to hold one of the top European Union posts.

The European Union plans to finalise a $100 billion trade pact with South Korea by the end of the year, the prime minister of EU president Sweden said on Monday.

European Union regulators unveiled draft plans on Wednesday to force short sellers of stocks to publicly disclose significant positions in a bid to crack down on those who abuse the market.

The European Central Bank siphoned off a record amount of overnight cash from overstuffed money markets on Tuesday, although banks continued to soak up the money it is simultaneously shovelling in over the longer term.

The European Central Bank kept euro zone interest rates at 1.0 percent on Thursday, bolstering expectations they will stay there well into next year, and said it would start buying bonds next week.