French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that the value of the euro cannot be left to market forces, adding his voice to concerns over the recent sharp rise in the currency.

Europe's main stock markets staged a modest recovery on Tuesday as investors went bargain hunting for shares that had slumped sharply the previous day on political uncertainty in Italy and Spain, dealers said.

Europe's main stock markets rebounded gently on Tuesday as investors fished for bargains after shares prices slumped sharply the previous day on political uncertainty in Italy and Spain, dealers said.

US stocks closed sharply lower Monday as signs of political instability in Italy and Spain renewed worries about the the eurozone's long-running public debt crisis.

Russia's main stock exchange said on Monday that its initial public offering set to be held in Moscow later this month will value the company at $4.0-4.6 billion (2.9-3.4 billion euros).

Britain's banks will be broken up if they fail to ring-fence retail operations from their investment divisions to avoid any future state bailouts of lenders, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne warned on Monday.

European stock markets fell and the euro dropped versus the dollar on Monday as traders banked recent profits amid political tensions in Spain and ahead of regional interest rate decisions due this week.

The number of Spaniards officially registered as unemployed rose to 4.98 million in January, according to Labour Ministry data, as the country's recession deepened.

Russia's main stock exchange said that its initial public offering, set to be held in Moscow later this month, will value the company at $4.0-4.6 billion (2.9-3.4 billion euros).

The European Union's massive spending on farm subsidies and infrastructure projects will be in the spotlight at difficult talks this week to set the bloc's next longterm budget.

About 10 former top officials of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena have been named in a probe into a financial scandal that has shaken the Italian bank to its core, national media reported Saturday.

The Cypriot central bank said a study into how much the country's Greek-exposed banking system needs as part of an EU bailout package was submitted on Saturday.

Negotiations to thrash out the European Union's next seven-year budget will be "very difficult", German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday, warning that it may take time to reach a deal.

London shares closed higher on Friday on reassuring US jobs data and a slight expansion in UK manufacturing in January.

The eurozone crowned a week of steadily improving economic data on Friday with inflation almost down to the European Central Bank's (ECB) medium-term target, falling to 2.0 percent in January after overshooting for more than two years, EU data showed.

The eurozone crowned a week of steadily improving economic data on Friday with inflation almost down to the European Central Bank's (ECB) medium-term target, falling to 2.0 percent in January after overshooting for more than two years, EU data showed.

Chronic and rising unemployment across the eurozone appeared to stabilise in December, although EU data released on Friday still showed almost 19 million people without work in the 17-state single currency area.

Eurozone inflation neared the European Central Bank's (ECB) medium-term target in January as it fell to 2.0 percent, EU data showed on Friday.

The Dutch state has nationalised banking and insurance group SNS Reaal at a cost of 3.7 billion euros ($5 billion), Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said, marking a rescue to avert a threat to the Dutch financial system.

Chinese firms consider the European Union as good or better an investment destination than North America, the EU chamber of commerce in China said Thursday, despite the eurozone's debt crisis and recessionary woes.