Stock markets on Friday managed modest gains with a 59-point upward move in the benchmark Sensex, helped by good buying in heavyweights like Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel, as also positive global cues.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says the EU needs to agree as soon as possible on a mechanism to support Greece financially if needed.

China is sending a Cabinet official to Washington in a bid to defuse trade tensions, the government said on Friday, as it called on U.S. leaders to cool the "politicization and emotionalization" of a currency dispute.

The World Bank has approved two projects worth USD 1.05 billion (over Rs 4,800 crore) for India, aimed at expanding the reach of primary schools and the quality of engineering education in the country.

Government on Friday increased the Dearness Allowance for central government employees and pensioners by eight percentage points to compensate for the price rise.