US stock were modestly higher as optimism over a possible coordinated action by major world central banks if Sunday's Greek election causes financial turmoil was tempered by a weak reading on domestic manufacturing.
Anti-corruption group Transparency International warned in a new report released Thursday that the close relationship between business and government has enabled corruption and undermined economic stability in Europe.
Uruguay’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has imposed a transitory ban on all genetic material imports from Europe following the outbreak of the disease Schmallenberg which attacks bovines, sheep, goats and buffalos.
China's Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday the Asian giant had neither the ability nor the intention to buy Europe, amid concerns over growing Chinese investment in debt-stricken Euro zone economies.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy have said they will meet next week to discuss the Euro zone debt crisis. Their first meeting of 2012 comes after all EU countries except the UK agreed to work together on a new treaty to stabilise the Euro zone.
European summit deal to strengthen budget discipline in the Euro zone failed to restore financial market confidence on Monday, forcing the European Central Bank to step in again gingerly.
European and Latinamerican leaders agreed in Brussels that the two continents should continue to strengthen links in spite of the serious financial and economic situation facing the European Union.
The European Union has been forced to accept a 2% rise in its budget next year, much less than the increase it wanted of around 5%.
The UK is now the worst place to live in Europe for quality of life and overall wellbeing, according to research by comparison site uSwitch.com. The high cost of living and work-driven culture means that Britain now sits at the bottom of a Quality of Life index. Ireland doesn’t come far behind in second place.
The International Monetary Fund re-activated this week a 571 billion dollars resource pool to ensure it has funds to help cover Europe's worsening sovereign-debt crisis. The IMF extended activation of its so-called New Arrangements to Borrow for a six-month period from October.