The European Central Bank is not expected to cut its key interest rates on Thursday, even though inflation in the euro area slowed sharply last month, analysts said.

The ECB has held eurozone borrowing costs at their current all-time lows since November.

China has announced a set of steps to boost slowing growth in the world's number-two economy, including extending tax breaks for small businesses and support measures for poor urban districts.

The State Council, China's cabinet, announced the mini stimulus late Wednesday after a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

Greece, fighting to emerge from bailouts which began in 2010, will try to return to borrowing normally on the medium-term debt mark by June, Greek press reports said on Wednesday citing the finance minister.

This is some months earlier than had been expected.

Moscow on Wednesday threatened retaliatory action against U.S. diplomats after U.S. bank JP Morgan blocked a transfer of funds carried out by a Russian envoy.

Russia considered as "unacceptable, illegal and absurd the decision of JP Morgan Chase bank to block the transfer by the Russian ambassador in Astana to insurance company Sogaz," said Alexander Lukashevich, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry.

German stock market operator Deutsche Boerse said Wednesday that its clearing and settlement unit Clearstream is the target of a money-laundering probe in the United States.

"Clearstream Banking has been informed that the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has made Clearstream subject of criminal investigation in connection with alleged violations of U.S. money laundering and Iran sanction laws," Deutsche Boerse said in a statement.

Italy's unemployment hit 13 percent for the first time in February and is expected to remain high for months to come, raising the pressure on new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

The country's jobless rate continued to inch stubbornly up, defying improving economic conditions elsewhere in Europe and breaking January's record, Italy's national statistics agency said Tuesday.

Russian gas giant Gazprom on Tuesday announced it was ending a gas discount enjoyed by Kiev in a major blow for the Ukrainian economy, as NATO foreign ministers prepared to forge a response to Russia's intervention in Crimea.

Ukraine on Monday reported a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from its eastern border amid growing signs that the Kremlin is ready to defuse the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reaped a $3.3 billion gain last year by exercising stock options in the social networking company that he founded in a Harvard University dorm room.

The windfall saddled Zuckerberg with a huge tax bill, even though he limited his Facebook salary to just $1, according to regulatory documents filed Monday.

Japan raised its sales tax Tuesday, moving to stabilize government finances but at the risk of undermining a shaky economic recovery.

It's a gamble the world's No. 3 economy cannot afford to take, given its soaring public debt.

A U.S. aid package to Ukraine that also imposes sanctions on Russia for its Crimea takeover is expected to clear Congress Tuesday and head to President Barack Obama, ending a weeks-long impasse.

But there is already concern that the delayed legislation might be too little too late to have a substantial impact on resolving the most serious East-West confrontation since the end of the Cold War.