EUROPEAN UNION

Asian shares eased Tuesday ahead of a key German ruling on the euro zone's bailout funds and the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision.

Most of the European markets marginally fell Monday as investor optimism over last week's bond buying plan announced by the European Central Bank began to fade and concerns about the debt crisis faced by the euro zone was revived.

Asian stock markets posted their first weekly gains in three weeks as the European Central Bank's (ECB) announcement about its widely anticipated bond-buying program, and Chinese stimulus measures, triggered a rally on Friday.

Venice attracts some 22-million visitors each year (for a city of only about 60,000 residents) and these figures keep climbing.

While pundits and analysts dissected a myriad angles regarding the ECB's proposal, one lesser-considered issue has been how, following the announcement of the plan Thursday, it increasingly seemed Spain was being given the short end of the stick, while Italy was being favored, by the announcement.

The European markets continued the upward rally Friday, a day after the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the widely anticipated bond-buying program aimed at lowering the struggling euro zone countries' borrowing costs.

Asian stock markets rallied Friday after the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the widely anticipated bond-buying program aimed at lowering the struggling euro zone countries' borrowing costs.

Gold futures blew past the $1700-per-ounce mark early Thursday morning ahead of a widely-anticipated appearance by European Central Bank president Mario Draghi where the central bank head was expected to announce further monetary accommodation in the eurozone.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said Thursday the “euro is irreversible” and announced a new bond-buying plan “Outright Monetary Transactions,” or OMTs, aimed at lowering the struggling euro zone countries’ borrowing costs which would serve as a “fully effective backstop.”

The U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Thursday as investor sentiment was underpinned by the expectation that the European Central Bank would announce stimulus measures to ease the euro zone debt burden.

European markets rose Thursday on hopes ahead of the European Central Bank meeting where the bank is expected to announce policy measures to boost the euro zone economy and revive growth momentum.

Of the 10,000 people thought to be at risk of contracting hantavirus pulmonary syndrome from their stays in Yosemite between June and August, some 2,500 live outside the United States.

The Norton Cybercrime Report released Wednesday pegs the total cybercrime cost for the U.S. consumers at $20.7 billion, with close to 71 million Americans falling prey to the online scam.

Asian stock market declined Wednesday as weak economic reports from U.S. and China weighed on the sentiment. Concerns over global economic downturn resurfaced after the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said that U.S. factory activity contracted for the third straight month in August

European markets remained in a tight range Wednesday as investors continued to be nervous ahead of the meeting in which the European Central Bank is expected to announce policy measures to boost the euro zone economy and revive growth momentum

The head of the European Central Bank is signaling that the ECB may be ready to offer short-term loans to the monetary union's most at-risk members like Spain and Italy.

StemCells Inc, Tower Semiconductor Ltd, Nokia Corp, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Telefonica, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Banco Santander, Coca-Cola Co, Harmony Gold Mining Co and ARM Holdings plc are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Tuesday.

Most of the European markets fell Tuesday as investors continued to remain cautious waiting for the policymakers to announce stimulus measures to boost the euro zone economy and revive the growth momentum.

Gold edged higher on Tuesday to the highest level in more than five months as lacklustre manufacturing data from around the globe fanned speculation of imminent easing measures from central banks.

Asian markets remained in a tight range Tuesday as investors were waiting for the outcome of meetings among the policymakers in the euro zone which is expected to announce measures to tackle the debt crisis affecting the region.

Syrian government warplanes bombed targets Aleppo and its vicinity Monday, as a car-bomb exploded in Jaramana near Damascus.