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Sao Paulo  - Finance ministers of the world’s 20 leading economies agreed Sunday in Brazil that global stability and growth must be the cornerstones of any plan to bring volatile markets under control and fight off worldwide recession.

Hong Kong  - India and Indonesia have Asia’s highest levels of consumer confidence in the face of the global economic slump, according to a survey published Friday.

Brussels - Europe’s leaders have already said that they want the world’s greatest powers to create a new brand of capitalism.

Sydney - Australians were Monday savouring the conviction of former judge Marcus Einfeld on charges of making a false statement and acting to pervert the course of justice.

Baghdad - Four Iraqis were killed on Sunday, including three children, in attacks in Diyala and Kirkuk.

Paris - The European Union is extending a loan of 6.5 billion euros (8.25 billion dollars) to Hungary to give the country added liquidity in the face of the economic crisis, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday.

Frankfurt - European shares opened sharply down Monday after a steep fall in stocks across Asia signalled another tumultuous week on global bourses.

Frankfurt - The euro hit a three-year low Friday of below 1.26 dollars amid forecasts that a slumping European economy will force the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut interest rates again.

Frankfurt - European shares slumped more than 2 per cent in opening trading Wednesday, picking up on a downbeat end to Wall Street and steep falls in Asia.

Amsterdam - Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who was convicted for the so-called Lockerbie disaster, is terminally ill with cancer and expected to die within “weeks or months,” a Dutch documentary filmmaker told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa early Tuesday.