
Italy's Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti said on Monday his first day of talks for a new government were constructive and he hoped to form an administration that could take the country through to the next scheduled elections in 2013.

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said on Monday the policies tied to Athens' international bailout had worsened a recession and pushed unemployment higher, but the problem could be mitigated with reforms.

None of the world's major economies will escape a slowdown, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said, highlighting increasing signs that growth momentum is dwindling across the board.

As technocrats leaders in Italy and Greece rush to form governments as they sought to limit the damage from the Euro zone debt crisis – and the Euro climbed on relief that a key Italian bond auction drew decent demand from investors – German chancellor Angela Merkel stepped up to defend Europe’s common currency.

A business mission of 53 companies organised by the Brazilian government plans to begin a tour of Mozambique, Angola and South Africa on 21 November, an Apex-Brasil official said in Sao Paulo.

Brazilian business and public contractor giant Odebrecht Company Limited, with top global businesses and operations across a wide variety of industries, has shown interest in undertaking the huge Stiegler's Gorge power project in Tanzania’s Rufiji river basin, according to “The East African” weekly.

The seventh round of Mercosur/EU trade negotiations held in Montevideo ended with “progress in some areas at regulation and norms levels” and with the commitment of exchanging proposals in mid 2012, according to Joao Aguiar Machado head of the EU team.

US actress Meryl Streep gave a sneak peek Monday at what she will look like as.” The award-winning star unveiled the official poster for the upcoming film in London before Parliament House.

Aquaculture is the world's fastest-growing source of animal protein and currently provides nearly half of all fish consumed globally, according to a report published here by FAO.

Uruguay has become a net creditor of the International Monetary Fund and given this condition has helped in the bailing out of such countries as Ireland and Angola, revealed a top authority of the Central Bank during a hearing before the country’s Senate’s Finance Committee.