A Lebanese judge on Thursday questioned central bank chief Riad Salameh over graft allegations as part of a probe into financial misconduct, a judicial source said.

Salameh, one of world's longest-serving central bank governors, is facing a spate of allegations, including in Switzerland and France, over suspicions of money laundering and embezzlement.

The Bank of England Thursday predicted the UK annual inflation rate to continue surging this year as pandemic-hit economies reopen, but kept its record-low interest rate and emergency stimulus intact.

The BoE forecast inflation reaching four percent from 2.5 percent currently, adding to fears that a spike in prices worldwide will force central banks to hike interest rates sooner than expected, in turn hindering economic recovery.

German sportswear brand Adidas on Thursday bumped up its earnings outlook for the year, as it expects the Olympics and the upcoming European and American football seasons to boost its sales.

The Bavaria-based group recorded a net profit of 397 million euros ($470 million) between April and June, as pandemic restrictions eased and the football European Championships got going.

Nintendo's first-quarter net profit fell nearly 13 percent as the video-game lockdown boom lost momentum, the Japanese firm said Thursday, after reporting record earnings in the previous financial year.

Long periods of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled a run of good fortune for game-makers worldwide.

European and Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday as traders assessed the risks to economic recovery posed by the Delta variant of the coronavirus and by soaring inflation.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index was flat in late morning deals before the Bank of England's latest interest rate decision and economic forecasts due at 1100 GMT.

President Joe Biden will set a target on Thursday that half of all cars sold in the United States by 2030 will be zero-emission vehicles, the White House announced.

Biden's plan follows the dramatic loosening of many environmental regulations and climate protections under the Donald Trump administration.

Stock markets rose Wednesday as traders weighed economic recovery prospects against concerns over the fast-spreading Delta virus variant and China's regulatory crackdown.

European and Asian stock markets mostly advanced following Tuesday's latest record close for the S&P 500 on Wall Street.

German car giant BMW posted record profit of 4.8 billion euros for the second quarter on Tuesday, but warned the second half of the year would "likely" be affected by semiconductor shortages.

BP returned to profit in the second quarter, the British energy giant announced Tuesday, having posted a hefty loss one year earlier as the pandemic crushed oil prices.

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday and oil extended losses as the impact of the fast-spreading Delta coronavirus variant on the global recovery fuelled concerns the outlook might not be as rosy as initially hoped.