London / AFP European stock markets rebounded on Thursday despite another slide for Chinese share prices, as investors looked ahead to a key meeting of finance ministers to discuss strains in the global economy. London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index rallied to stand 2.0 percent higher in late morning deals. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 won 0.8 percent and the …

Tokyo / AfP Tokyo shares rose in early trading on Thursday as a weaker yen provided support to exporters following a positive lead from Wall Street as oil prices rebounded from steep falls. US stocks pushed higher on Wednesday as crude prices stabilised, with both US and Brent closing modestly higher following Tuesday’s slump of more than four percent. Higher …

Washington / AP Americans stepped back from buying new homes in January, as purchases plunged sharply in western states where prices are typically higher. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that new-home sales fell 9.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 494,000. Most of the decline stemmed for a 32.1 drop in sales in the West. Sales …