HELSINKI (Reuters) - Network equipment maker Nokia on Thursday posted weaker-than-expected quarterly profits as telecom operators, particularly in North America, held off spending, but it expressed confidence that momentum was building later in 2018.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd said on Thursday it expects operating profit to rise 26.7 percent in the year through March to a nine-year high, as its Switch games console maintains sales momentum in its second year.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese aircraft flew around self-ruled Taiwan on Thursday, China's air force said, the latest in a series of recent exercises Taiwan has described as military intimidation.

BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) - Chinese aircraft flew around self-ruled Taiwan on Thursday, China's air force said, the latest in a series of recent exercises Taiwan has described as military intimidation.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Thursday, supported by expectations the United States will re-impose sanctions against Iran, a decline in output in Venezuela and ongoing strong demand.

LONDON (Reuters) - UK Asset Resolution, the British 'bad bank' set up to manage the assets of two failed lenders, has sold two portfolios of residential mortgages to an investor group led by Barclays , boosting the public purse by 5.3 billion pounds ($7.39 billion).

BORACAY, Philippines (Reuters) - Volunteers combed near-empty beaches and workers boarded up shops on the island of Boracay on Thursday, as the Philippines' top tourist hotspot closed for a six-month makeover aimed at rescuing it from ruin.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank announced cutbacks to its bond and equities trading on Thursday in a major overhaul of its troubled investment bank, after posting a 79 percent drop in net profit in the first quarter.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's pledge to dismantle its Punggye-ri nuclear test site sounds like a big step forward but verifying whether that will actually happen will be difficult, underlining the complexities of any deal it may strike with the United States.