President Barack Obama vowed Thursday to cut long and frustrating lines at customs for foreigners arriving at U.S. airports in a bid to lure 100 million tourists a year by 2020.

Obama promised to maintain national security but ease the entry of travelers as he launched a new tourism push designed to create more American jobs.

The euro fell against the dollar Thursday, under pressure from a slight downturn in a key eurozone gauge of business activity.

Markit Economics's May composite purchasing managers index (PMI) for the single currency area fell to 53.9 points from 54 in April, a slight pullback in the pace of expansion. 

Toyota on Friday said it is recalling about 520,000 vehicles, mostly in North America, over several issues including cable corrosion that could see unused spare tyres fall off. 

The world's biggest automaker made the announcement just days after U.S. rival General Motors said it was recalling 2.4 million more vehicles in the United States.

Fitch ratings agency on Friday upgraded Greece's credit rating to "B" from "B-", forecasting the economy will return to growth this year for the first time since 2008.

The decision to upgrade reflects the efforts made by the government to tackle its budget deficit, the agency said in a statement.

Russian energy giant Gazprom is eyeing a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange, a spokesman said Thursday, as the firm moves to play a more active role in Asia.

Analysts say listing in Singapore could be part of a "strategic shift" towards the region, as the Ukraine crisis threatens Russian energy exports to Europe and as Western sanctions bite.

Credit Suisse is under investigation in the United States to determine if it allowed traders use its network for improper transactions, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Wall Street's self-regulator, is looking into the activities of several traders who may have used sophisticated computer programs improperly, for example to manipulate the market by duping other investors in making trades, the paper said.

Eurozone business activity slipped slightly in May but held near a three-year high, suggesting a modest economic recovery remains on track, a closely watched survey showed on Thursday.

However the report also highlighted continuing problems for France, lagging further behind powerhouse Germany which goes from strength to strength, analysts said.

Chinese manufacturing activity saw a sharp improvement in May, hitting a five-month high, HSBC said Tuesday, but it warned more government action was needed to kickstart the world's number two economy.

The British banking giant said in a statement its preliminary purchasing managers' index (PMI), which tracks activity in the nation's factories and workshops, came in at 49.7 this month, well up from a final reading of 48.1 in April. 

China signed a long-awaited, 30-year deal Wednesday to buy Russian natural gas worth $400 billion in a financial and diplomatic boost to diplomatically isolated President Vladimir Putin.

Negotiations on the price for the gas had continued into the final hours of a two-day visit by Putin to China, during which the two sides had said they hoped to sign a deal.

Singapore's central bank on Wednesday warned citizens of the risks attached to buying properties overseas, after data showed a surge in Singaporeans' investment in real estate abroad.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said local real estate agencies had handled overseas property deals worth Sg$2 billion ($1.6 billion) last year -- a 43 percent rise since 2012.