Reuters

World stocks held near three-month highs and the euro also remained close to a three-month peak, thanks to a larger than expected European stimulus boost and on hopes of a global economic rebound.

The Bank of Japan is likely to maintain this month its projection that the economy will gradually recover from the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic in the latter half of this year, sources said.

Have HSBC and Standard Chartered "chosen profits over human rights" in backing China's national security law for Hong Kong, as some suggest? Or does it reflect the tightrope businesses must navigate between Hong Kong's protesters and Beijing?

The owner of British Airways is considering launching a legal challenge against the UK's looming quarantine plan, in the latest sign of a breakdown in relations between airlines and the government over the coronavirus pandemic.

British luxury carmaker Bentley Motors said on Friday it plans to shed up to 1,000 jobs, nearly a quarter of its workforce, adding to the gloom in the sector hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

World stocks held their ground near three-month highs as the euro hit its highest level since March 10, thanks to Europe's stimulus boost, fuelling hopes for a global rebound.

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in mid-April, used-car dealer Alex Tovstanovsky had vehicles jammed six rows deep on his lot in the western Chicago suburb of Naperville.

Oil prices rose on Friday after OPEC decided to move up discussions on whether to extend record production cuts to Saturday, indicating that some laggard countries may have agreed to align themselves with the deal.

Tim Davie was appointed the new head of the BBC on Friday, tasked with securing the future direction and financing of the publicly funded British broadcaster in the wake of government scepticism of the current model.

Canadian business jet maker Bombardier Inc said on Friday it would cut 2,500 jobs at its aviation unit and take a related charge of $40 million this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic hurts sales.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday with S&P 500 futures hitting a three-month high, as investors focused on tentative signs of a post-coronavirus economic rebound ahead of another expected plunge in U.S. employment data.

German car maker Volkswagen AG said on Friday that it had added two members to the executive committee of its supervisory board.

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk on Thursday called for Amazon.com Inc to be broken up, after an author complained on social media about being unable to self-publish a book via the world's largest online retailer.

Airlines from America to Australia are ramping up flights in June and July, boosting hopes for a pickup in tourist traffic even as bigger-spending business and global travel remains sluggish during the ongoing pandemic.

The owner of British Airways is considering launching a legal challenge against the UK's looming quarantine plan, its chief executive said, warning that the new rules would torpedo its return to flying in July.

Allianz is in talks with Chinese regulators for a licence as the German insurer looks to eventually offer broad asset management services in the world's second-largest economy.

European stocks are likely to rise another 10% by the end of September as the re-opening of economies after virus lockdowns is likely to lead to a significant pick-up in business activity, Bank of America analysts said on Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday warned American investors against fraudulent accounting practices at China-based companies and said the Nasdaq's recent decision to tighten listing rules for such players should be "a model" for all other exchanges around the world.

China said on Friday that forcing Chinese firms to retreat from U.S. stock exchanges would severely harm U.S. interests.

Asian stocks extended gains on Friday and were poised for their biggest weekly rise since 2011 while the euro hit a 1-1/2 month high as Europe's central bank surprised with more stimulus, fuelling hopes for a global rebound.