Author: KMFSLLP

* Autos boosted by better-than-expected U.S. car sales (Updates prices, adds detail, quotes)

* European stocks open higher, FTSE touches record * Euro zone services PMI to show continued momentum * Debenhams drops after profit warning * Iran unrest pours extra fuel on oil rally Jan...

* Central bank ready to deploy measures to prevent overheating (Adds quotes, more comments, background)

SHANGHAI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's benchmark stock index rose for the seventh straight session on Thursday, hitting a fresh 10-year high and pacing gains in Asian markets as solid United States and German economic data boosted sentiment. ** At the close of trade, the Hang Seng index...

LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - A rally in European stocks picked up pace on Thursday, following the lead of Asian shares which hit a ten-year peak overnight, as better-than-expected U.S. car sales data and rising oil prices drove auto and energy stocks higher.

ISTANBUL, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Turkey's Halkbank said on Thursday its executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla has the right to appeal against a U.S. court verdict finding him guilty of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions and said it always adheres to national and international regulations.

ANKARA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. jury's decision to convict a Turkish banker for helping Iran evade sanctions does not carry any legal value for Turkey and is against international laws, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Thursday.

ANKARA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Turkey on Thursday slammed a U.S. jury's decision to convict a Turkish banker for helping Iran evade sanctions as "unjust and unfortunate" and cast the trial as unprecedented interference in Ankara's internal affairs.

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Saga has restructured its travel business, after the British tourism and insurance group for the over 50s said last month that its tour operations had been hit by the collapse of Monarch Airlines.