European stock markets appear to have rallied after the severe losses recorded when they opened this morning. Following news of continued falls on the Asian markets, Amsterdam's AEX lost five percent soon after opening.

The Australian Stock Exchange is facing another tough day, as world markets reel amid fears of a United States-sparked recession.

Ford of Europe’s cars and commercial vehicles continued to be in demand in August. Across its main 21 European markets, the company sold 103,600 vehicles, a 9 percent increase over August 2006.

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq:VSAT) today announced that the consumer broadband satellite service they are partnering to offer in Europe will be available from the end of September in Germany, with selected other European markets to follow before the end of the year.

Building on its commitment to provide innovative semiconductor solutions to fast growing markets, Texas Instruments (TI) announced that it has opened a new Customer Support Center and representative office in Prague (Czech Republic), adding to existing recently established offices in Warsaw, Moscow and Istanbul and providing new levels of support to Eastern European markets by extending its local customer service.

Sharps safety devices have gained acceptance in recent years in European markets. However, future growth is being restrained by the lack of European legislation mandating their use. While manufacturers could consider lobbying for such legislation, alternatively, they could explore the potential that African markets hold in terms of the need for such products allied with the prospect of large volume sales.