BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union hit back Thursday against U.S. criticism of plans to crack down on hedge funds, saying its push for openness in the industry met a commitment also given by Washington and others. U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has complained to EU financial markets chief Michel Barnier about proposed rules to curb hedge fund borrowing ...

The King of the Belgians, Albert II, will attend 50th anniversary celebrations of former colony Democratic Republic of Congo's independence, the Belgian government said Wednesday in the strongest sign yet of strained relations easing. Twenty-five years after the last royal Belgian visit, when the Congo was in the grip of Zaire dictator Joseph Mobutu, Prime Minister Yves Leterme's ...

Belgian insurer Fortis Holding said Wednesday that Dutch regulators fined it euro576,000 ($781,000) for giving incorrect information about the financial situation of Fortis bank, months before it nearly collapsed and sought government rescue. Fortis has the name and some of the assets and liabilities of what was ...

Shares of Cerus Corp. rose Tuesday as an R.W. Baird analyst upgraded his rating on the company, citing the value and potential of the Intercept blood system. The system is used to clean bacteria, viruses, and parasites out of donated blood prior to transfusion ...