London / AFP Oil prices in New York rose above $50 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since June, helping provide some support for broader markets ahead of key US jobs data. Near 1330 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in November was trading up 37 cents at $50.20 a barrel, while the London benchmark …

Dubai / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market continued rebounding on Thursday, led by bank and petrochemical shares, but most markets in the region weakened. The Saudi index rose 0.8 percent, although trading volume shrank to a modest level, suggesting many investors were staying out of the market. The banking index, beaten down in past days by news that banks would …

  Tokyo / AFP Tokyo shares closed higher for a fourth straight session Thursday as a weaker yen boosted exporters while Fujitsu soared on reports it is considering merging its money-losing PC unit with China’s Lenovo. The dollar rallied as investors viewed strong US data on the key services sector as more evidence the world’s top economy is back on …