PORTUGAL

Swiss Re was more confident it could repay a costly convertible loan from Warren Buffett after strengthening its capital and returning to the black in 2009.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Wednesday his debt-stricken country was not seeking European taxpayers' money but needed a breathing space to cut its budget deficit and borrow on normal conditions.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Wednesday his debt-stricken country was not seeking European taxpayers' money but needed a breathing space to cut its budget deficit and borrow on normal conditions.

Okay, so strictly speaking, Japan's wartime aim was control of the Pacific and not world domination. However, if by some freak accident they had ended up inheriting the human race, things may not have been that bad.

European ministers told Greece on Tuesday it may need to take further steps to bring a swollen debt under control and calm irrational financial markets, as wage cuts already announced by Athens sparked another strike.

Sweden's finance minister said on Tuesday Greece's deficit-reduction plan was not enough, raising pressure on Athens to do more to prevent a swollen debt and broader financial market trouble from getting out of hand.

The euro held near a nine-month low against the dollar on Tuesday, with all signs that euro zone policymakers will focus on making Greece fully implement budget cuts rather than gifting it swift financial aid.

U.S. stocks could struggle to make headway this week if a meeting of European finance ministers fails to reassure markets that they can contain Greece's debt problems.

Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Saturday against a further drifting apart of euro zone economies in an interview with a German newspaper.

The euro fell to a nearly nine-month low against the U.S. dollar on Friday as questions persisted about a rescue deal for debt-stricken Greece, while higher-yielding currencies weakened after China unexpectedly raised bank reserves. The euro headed for its fifth weekly drop versus the safe-haven greenback as a lack of details in Thursday's pledge by the European Union to help Greece fanned fears of a wider euro zone debt crisis.

Greece's economy shrank more than feared last quarter and the government on Friday sharply revised down its figures for the previous three quarters as well, increasing doubts about its ability to resolve its debt crisis.

Europe's post-recession recovery hit a roadblock on Friday as German economic growth unexpectedly halted and Italy went into reverse in the final quarter of 2009, knocking total euro zone GDP growth almost flat.

The International Monetary Fund on Friday joined the European Union in pledging support for Greece in its struggle to bring its ballooning budget deficit under control and contain its debt crisis.

Stocks rose on Thursday after a pledge by European leaders to support debt-laden Greece eased fears of a broader euro zone crisis and upbeat data from China spurred mining and material stocks.

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday after a pledge by European leaders to support debt-laden Greece eased fears of a broader euro zone crisis and upbeat data from China spurred mining and material stocks.

The euro fell against the dollar on Thursday as investors were disappointed with the lack of details regarding a European Union deal to support heavily-indebted Greece. The euro zone currency also dropped against the yen and sterling after European leaders sought to prop up Greece with words of support at a summit on Thursday, but failed to make concrete pledges, describing the promise of support as a political statement.

European leaders struck a deal to provide financial aid to Greece on Thursday, in an unprecedented move to stave off a broader crisis in the 16-nation bloc that shares the euro single currency.

Stocks rose on Thursday as appetite for riskier assets returned after a pledge by European leaders to support debt-ridden Greece eased fears of a possible sovereign default.

European leaders sought to prop up Greece with words of support at a summit on Thursday but failed to offer concrete proposals to help the country tackle its debt crisis, prompting a negative market reaction.

European leaders have reached a deal to provide aid to Greece, EU president Herman Van Rompuy said on Thursday, in an unprecedented move to stave off a broader crisis in the 16-nation bloc that shares the euro.

European Union leaders are expected to lay the foundations for a financial rescue of Greece at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, but any package of support is likely to require major economic adjustments by Athens.