EU

European and Asian stock markets mostly dropped Friday, hit by concerns for the US tech sector after poorly-received earnings.

The EU on Friday pledged to support Ukraine "every step of the way" in its quest for bloc membership as top officials gathered in Kyiv for a highly symbolic summit.

The heating plant in Munich's southern Sendling neighbourhood has been run for more than a century on gas, often imported from far away.

Air raid sirens wailed on Friday morning as European Union and Ukrainian leaders gathered for a summit, with Kyiv set to win pledges of further support but not a promise of quick accession to the wealthy bloc.

EU lawmakers on Thursday agreed to tougher rules on targeted political advertising aimed at countering misinformation during elections, drawing support from Google's YouTube and civil rights activists and concerns from a tech lobbying group.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday warned that Russia was building up its troops to take "revenge" on the West nearly a year into Moscow's invasion.

The European Parliament on Thursday lifted the immunity of two lawmakers targeted in a Belgian probe into suspected bribery linked to Qatar and Morocco.

Ukraine urged the European Union on Thursday to impose more sanctions on Moscow, as some of the bloc's top officials visited Kyiv in a show of solidarity that offered no quick path to membership during Russia's invasion.

Euro zone shares extended gains on Thursday to touch their strongest level in almost a year, as investors shrugged off hawkish messages from the European Central Bank and pinned their hopes on the global rate hike cycle ending soon.

The EU will reveal Wednesday plans to counter the threat to European industry from US green energy subsidies and unfair competition from China, with leaked proposals pointing to a controversial expansion of state aid rules.

The eurozone's annual inflation rate has fallen for a third consecutive month, official data showed on Wednesday, but uncertainty over the figures and continued price growth cooled optimism.

The eurozone economy showed greater resilience than expected after avoiding a recession in the fourth quarter of 2022, official data showed Tuesday, but the outlook remained gloomy as soaring prices dampen growth.

Europe's glittering luxury companies, the region's top stock-market performers in 2023, may see yet more gains driven by a rebound in Chinese spending, but for some the sector is starting to look expensive.

European Union banking regulators on Tuesday launched a stress test to check how banks could cope with a long period of high inflation and interest rates just as the European Central Bank is expected to raise borrowing costs further.

The EU will present long-awaited proposals on Wednesday to counter sweeping US subsidies on green tech that threaten Europe's industry, already struggling with soaring energy prices and unfair competition from China.

Plans by the European Commission to create new European Union funding for the green industry are facing mounting opposition in the 27-nation bloc, as seven EU countries openly rejected the idea in a letter to the EU executive.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday he hoped South Africa would use its good relations with Russia to convince it end the conflict in Ukraine.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Thursday urged Europe to fight anti-Semitism "at all costs", in the face of a worrying increase in hatred being spread notably online.

European Union ministers on Thursday sought ways to curb irregular immigration and send more people away as arrivals rose from pandemic lows, reviving controversial ideas for border fences and asylum centres outside of Europe.

European shares marched higher on Thursday as upbeat quarterly results from STMicroelectronics, Sabadell and Nokia eased some worries about the impact of stubborn inflation and slowing economic growth on corporate profit.

Eight years after facing a refugee crisis in 2015, the European Union is still struggling with how to reform its asylum system -- just as migrant entries are once again rising.

The euro held near a nine-month high against the dollar on Tuesday, though European stocks eased after regional business activity data reinforced expectations that the European Central Bank (ECB) will raise rates by a further 50 basis points.

Euro zone business activity made a surprise return to modest growth in January, adding to signs the downturn in the bloc may not be as deep as feared and that the currency union may escape recession, a survey showed.

The European Union should introduce more sanctions against Russia's technology sector to curb Moscow's ability to produce arms and rockets it is using to wage war on Ukraine, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told Reuters.

The EU on Tuesday announced proposals to try to reverse an "alarming decline" in the number of bees -- and other insects that pollinate the bloc's crops -- including by rewarding organic farming.

Cross-Channel train operator Eurostar complained Tuesday that slower post-Brexit passport checks for travellers are forcing it to run some services almost one-third empty.

European Union proposals to overhaul its electricity market will attempt to better protect consumer energy bills from short-term swings in fossil fuel prices, the European Commission said on Monday.

Junk-rated companies in Europe have raised $1.4 billion from bond sales this month as investors return to riskier debt after rising interest rates and Russia's war in Ukraine froze markets last year.

The EU's chief announced ambitious plans Tuesday to challenge China and the United States in the race for clean-tech industries, as a battle over green trade emerged at the World Economic Forum.

The EU on Monday said it would take "decisive steps" to protect Europe in the face of massive US subsidies that have left the bloc scrambling to find a way to keep businesses on the continent.