World oil prices rebounded gently on Friday, one day after slumping in the face of weak Chinese data and international concern that elevated crude costs could hurt the global recovery, traders said.

Brent North Sea crude for delivery in May gained 77 cents to $123.91 a barrel in London midday deals.

A run of poor economic figures weighed on markets Thursday in what is turning out to be one of the worst weeks for stocks this year.

Disappointing figures out of China and the 17-country eurozone have prompted investors to cash out of stocks, following a strong run in previous weeks. Many traders are wary of further pushing up indexes, many of which recently hit multi-month highs.

Australia's central bank on Thursday signed a currency swap deal with its Chinese counterpart, allowing for up to Aus$30 billion (US$31.2 billion) to be exchanged between the two institutions.

The purpose of the deal, another example of the growing internationalization of China's currency, is to support trade and investment between the two countries, the Reserve Bank of Australia said.

The worst is over in the Eurozone debt crisis, but risks remain and it is up to governments to resolve them, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said in a newspaper interview Thursday.

"The worst is over, but risks remain," Draghi told the daily Bild, Germany's most widely-read newspaper.

Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday said that it is combining its computer and printer units to free up more cash for innovation in the rapidly evolving technology market.

HP will combine its Imaging and Printing Group and its Personal Systems Group (PSG) into an entity headed by Tom Bradley, who has been PSG executive vice president since 2005.

China Wednesday sought to defuse a trade row with the United States after the latter imposed duties on Chinese solar products, saying it would not hurt ties, even as state media cried protectionism.

The United States said Tuesday it would collect duties of between 2.9 and 4.7 percent on Chinese solar cells and panels, in a preliminary ruling after an investigation over whether companies received unfair financial support.

Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday signed an agreement with Chinese state-run energy company CNPC to explore, develop and produce shale gas in southwest China, the Anglo-Dutch company said.

The production-sharing contract with China National Petroleum Corporation centers on a 3,500 square-kilometer (2,170 square-mile) area in Sichuan province, Shell said in a statement.

The Greek parliament formally ratified early Wednesday a second Eurozone bailout scheme worth up to 130 billion Euros ($170 billion) to save it from defaulting on its national debts.

The text was approved overnight by 213 socialist and conservative parliamentary deputies and opposed by just 79 members from the communist left and far-right.

The World Bank said Tuesday it would fund two projects totaling $1.09 billion, in energy and irrigation, aimed at supporting Pakistan's growth agenda for reducing poverty.

The World Bank's executive board approved the projects Tuesday, the development lender said in a statement.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said Tuesday the global economy has moved back from the "abyss" but that there is still serious weakness in the world financial system.

Lagarde, visiting New Delhi for a two-day trip to attend a conference and meet leaders, said the world financial situation is not as grave as at the start of this year.