Asian and European stock markets bounced higher Monday following last week's blood-letting as bargain-buyers moved in, while silver prices soared to an eight-year peak after it became a new target of chatroom-driven retail buying, dealers said.

Progressive lawmakers this week formally launched an effort to hike the U.S. minimum wage, introducing legislation to gradually raise it from $7.25 to $15 an hour.

India will push on with sweeping agriculture reforms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday, as he criticized last week's deadly riot in the capital following a long-running protest campaign by farmers.

A group of 10 Republican senators have written President Joe Biden to propose an alternative to his massive Covid-19 relief plan, arguing that their approach could garner the bipartisan support he has said he seeks.

Britain said it is to apply to join a massive 11-nation free-trade bloc of Asia-Pacific countries this week, not long after quitting the European Union's single market.

The French economy plunged into a deep recession last year as the coronavirus pandemic slashed total output by 8.3 percent, official figures showed Friday.

Asian markets suffered further losses Thursday, tracking a rout in New York and Europe as markets were hit by a perfect storm of worries about the slow rollout of vaccines, surging infections, a stuttering economic recovery, and high valuations.

The spike in Covid-19 cases in the United States is hampering the country's economic recovery from the downturn caused by the pandemic, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday.

The United Arab Emirates' top two banks reported drops in profit last year as they make huge provisions to counter the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Asian markets sank on Tuesday following the previous day's healthy run-up, with sentiment jolted by the prospect that Joe Biden's huge stimulus could be watered down and not even be passed for several weeks.