Canadian Press - TORONTO - Wall Street stock index futures were modestly positive Monday morning as European markets rose following strong gains in Asia as traders were encouraged by market advances last week.

AFP - France Telecom reported on Wednesday a bigger-than-expected profits leap in 2007 and looked forward to steady growth as it held up well in European markets and newer ventures overseas.

FT.com - European equities fell in line with losses on Wall Street as technology shares lost ground after Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) in the US warned of weak demand.

AP - He sent troops to Iraq against stiff opposition in Paris and Berlin, rejected the Euro as fellow leaders embraced economic harmony and angered neighbors by playing hardball over the European Union budget.

FT.com - The Netherlands is to refuse to sign off on the European Union's accounts in an attempt to force national governments to take more responsibility for the European money they spend.

Canadian Press - PARIS - Societe Generale said Sunday that a trader who evaded all its controls to bet $73.5 billion - more than the French bank's market worth - on European markets hacked computers and 'combined several fraudulent methods' to cover his tracks, causing billions in losses.

FT.com - European stock markets made early gains on Monday, led by advances in the banking sector.

AFP - The European Commission approved on Tuesday Reuters' takeover by Canadian rival Thomson, paving the way for the creation of the world's biggest financial information group.

FT.com - European markets were in a bearish mood on Wednesday after more disappointing results from the banking sector and overnight losses on Wall Street weighed on stocks.

Reuters - Hamas called on the European Union on Friday to step up pressure on Israel to lift its economic and military blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist group.

AFP - The European Union wants a global code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds, its trade chief said Monday, just days after China had attacked scrutiny as harmful to the global economy.

AFP - China should gradually revalue its currency to cool its booming export sector and also allow European companies fairer access to its market, the European Union trade chief said Tuesday.

AFP - The IMF slashed its 2008 German growth forecast to 1.5 percent on Wednesday, warning that weaker global economic activity would curb exports from the biggest European economy.

AFP - German unemployment fell further in February on sustained business activity and because the winter remained mild, figures from the national employment agency showed on Thursday.

Reuters - British mortgage approvals unexpectedly picked up in January from a series low, but mortgage lending posted its weakest rise in two and a half years, according to Bank of England data on Friday.