EUROPEAN UNION

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos faces the critical task of convincing international lenders and political-party leaders on Sunday to agree to the stringent terms of a 130 billion euro ($171 billion) rescue plan to stave off looming default.

The possibility of a sovereign default by Greece cannot be ruled out, Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers from the single currency zone, said in a German magazine on Saturday.

Iran's oil minister said the Islamic state would not retreat from its nuclear program even if its crude-oil exports grind to a halt, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. But Rostam Qasemi also called on the European Union to review its recent decision to ban Iranian oil imports as of July 1.

Greece's government on Saturday struggled on in talks with lenders to secure a 130 billion euro ($171 bilion) bailout before turning to the trickier task of persuading political leaders to back the unpopular reforms involved in the rescue.

Hungary is seeking an international credit line of 15 billion to 20 billion euros ($20 billion to $26.3 billion), the secretary of state heading the prime minister's office, Mihaly Varga, was quoted on Saturday as saying.

The organization that provides the world's banks with a system for moving money said on Friday it is working with officials in the European Union and the United States to address concerns about the services it provides to blacklisted Iranian banks.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is beginning monthlong naval exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf oil-tanker route that Tehran has threatened to close in retaliation for sanctions recently imposed by the European Union and the United States.

The Irish Aid, a government oversees development body, had to take its Web site offline after it was hacked and several staff members' private information was posted under a 'Stop ACTA' banner.

European Union competition ministers supported plans on Friday to remove barriers to electronic trade in a bid to spur economic growth and jobs by expanding the single market to the digital world, officials said.

Almost every major global economy showed positive momentum in the manufacturing sector during January, according to data compiled by various economic-research organizations.

In some cases, gas supplies have been reduced by as much as 30 percent.

Anonymous published a 15 minute transcript from the call, which was between officers from both countries discussing how to prosecute the hacking collective and its members. In a Twitter posting the group gloated, The FBI might be curious how we're able to continuously read their internal comms for some time now, after it emerged members of Anonymous had managed to intercept an email between the FBI and British authorities listing a time and password for the sensitive conference call.

The money Malev owed was equal to its entire annual revenue.

European stocks were up around midday on Friday, hitting a six- month high as investors cheered data that hinted the euro zone may avoid slipping back into recession, eclipsing a disappointing start to the earnings season.

A group of European regulators has written to Google Inc calling on it to halt the introduction of its new privacy policy, saying it needs to investigate whether the proposals sufficiently protect users' personal data.

Asian shares and the euro fell on Friday as debt restructuring talks between Greece and its creditors dragged on, undermining sentiment, and investors sat tight ahead of U.S. jobs data that will offer more clues on the health of the world's top economy.

Russia has accused European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton of interfering in the country's internal affairs.

Asian shares and the euro fell Friday as caution set in ahead of key U.S. jobs data, which will offer more clues over the state of the world's largest economy, while Greek debt restructuring talks dragged on and undermined sentiment.

US defence secretary Leon Panetta claims growing possibility Israel will attack Iran in nuclear row.

The United States, European governments and Arab states have begun discussing the possibility of exile for Bashar al-Assad despite skepticism that the defiant Syrian president is ready to consider such an offer, Western officials say.

The Dow and S&P 500 advanced for a second day on Tuesday as stronger-than-expected consumer confidence data and hopes for further progress on a solution to Europe's fiscal mess bolstered sentiment.