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.

PARIS (Reuters) - Air France faces a period of "turbulence" if it loses a battle with unions who are striking to press pay demands, French Prime Minster Edouard Philippe said on Thursday.

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.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen on Thursday posted a surprise drop in first-quarter operating profit as accounting changes, currency headwinds and technology costs weighed on group results.

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).

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday reported a 42 percent rise in first-quarter profit, its highest in over three years, boosted by higher oil prices and production.

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.

LONDON (Reuters) - Financial technology firm Revolut said on Thursday its valuation had jumped by five times in a year to $1.7 billion at its most recent funding round, making it the first of Britain's digital-only banks to reach unicorn status.

MOSCOW, April 25 (Reuters) - Moscow is holding off on taking retaliatory measures against the United States for imposing sanctions on Rusal, hoping the EU can persuade Washington to ease restrictions against the world's second largest aluminum producer further, sources told Reuters.