Recession-hit Spain announced Thursday record tourist arrivals in July as British, German and French holidaymakers packed its beaches at a time of unrest in Egypt and Turkey.

A total 7.9 million international tourists arrived in Spain in July, up 2.9 percent from the same month last year, government figures showed.

The Turkish currency fell further against the dollar and the borrowing rate on 10-year bonds jumped to 10.0 percent in morning trading on Thursday.

Traders were anxious about the prospects for a tightening of U.S. monetary policy after the release on Wednesday of minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's last policy meeting.

Apple's grip on China's tablet market has loosened as Asian tech companies increase sales with cheaper Android tablet computers, a market report showed Thursday.

Dickie Chang, senior market analyst at research firm IDC, said Apple supplied 28 percent of tablet computers in China during the April-June quarter, down from 49 percent dominance a year earlier.

Chinese manufacturing activity expanded for the first time in four months in August, according to a closely watched indicator Thursday, pointing to renewed strength in the world's second-largest economy.

HSBC said the preliminary reading of its purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 50.1 for the month, up from July's 47.7, which was an 11-month low.

European Central Bank council member and Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann warned in a magazine interview on Wednesday against the dangers of a country leaving the eurozone.

"What vexes me is how recklessly people invoke such a scenario," Weidmann told the German monthly Capital in a pre-release of an interview to be published on Thursday.

Russia's economy minister warned on Wednesday that officials will probably have to downgrade the 2013 growth forecast for the second time in months because of a poor first-half performance.

The Federal State Statistics Service reported on August 9 that Russia's economy expanded by just 1.4 percent of gross domestic product compared to the first six months of 2012.

Al-Jazeera America went live Tuesday, accompanied by a campaign of traditional and social media for its cable channel launch, as it pledged to outdo its rivals with serious, in-depth journalism.

Former CNN reporter Tony Harris anchored the first newscast as the channel began broadcasting at 1900 GMT.

Emerging market currencies have taken major hits recently as investors pull out money in anticipation the U.S. Federal Reserve will begin to taper its stimulus effort, with India and Brazil also punished for slow growth.

The plunge for some currencies has been steep, with the Indian rupee losing about 19.5 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar in the past three months to hit a record low of 64.12 rupees to the greenback on Tuesday.

Jordan's Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given the go-ahead for a first nuclear research reactor as the desert kingdom, which lacks any oil, seeks to meet its energy needs.

The five-megawatt reactor will be built at the Jordan University for Sciences and Technology near the northern city of Irbid, commission chief Majad Hawwari said.

Italian fashion house Versace says it has signed a deal to build a luxury hotel at a casino-resort in Macau, the world's top gambling market.

Versace and Macau casino operator SJM said in a joint statement Tuesday that the Palazzo Versace hotel will be part of the resort SJM is building in the former Portuguese colony.