
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet Monday sought to reassure investors on the resilience of the Euro-zone as Ireland's formal request for financial assistance from the bloc sparked nervousness on European credit markets.

Ireland became the second Euro country to seek a rescue as the cost of saving its banks threatened a rerun of the Greek debt crisis that destabilized the currency. The Euro rose and European bond risk fell Monday following the announcement of the package.

Argentina and South Africa signed on Saturday on board a South African navy vessel docked in Buenos Aires a wide ranging agreement on defense development and military co-operation.

The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in today’s global economy expected to generate about 9% of total GDP and provide for more than 235 million jobs in 2010 representing 8% of global employment.

China's central bank has raised the amount of money that lenders must keep in reserve, as it moves again to try to control the country's high inflation. The People's Bank of China said the reserve ratio would go up by a further 0.5 percentage points on 29 November.

The UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate rose unexpectedly to 3.2% in October, official figures show, on the back of higher fuel prices. Analysts had expected the CPI figure to remain unchanged at 3.1%.

The Irish Republic's finance minister has said he feels no sense of shame over his country's economic record - but it now needs outside help. Brian Lenihan told broadcaster RTE the Republic had fought hard over the past two years for financial survival.

London's Natural History Museum has suspended a planned expedition to a remote region of Paraguay after protests that it might disturb one of the world's last uncontacted tribes.

The Russian government approved a three year (2011/2013) privatization plan paving the way for a sale of federal assets which could yield 1 trillion roubles (33 billion US dollars), Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina said in Moscow following a cabinet meeting.

An electric sports car developed by European engineers has finished a remarkable 26.000 kilometres road trip on the Panamerican Highway, travelling from near the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia without a single blast of carbon dioxide emissions.