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The aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings is at a critical juncture and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa must include all members of society to fulfill the promise of the Arab Spring, according to Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief, who spoke on Tuesday.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in Germany on Tuesday that the European Central Bank was playing a positive role in the euro zone debt crisis, but he played down talk that the U.S. Federal Reserve could boost IMF funding for the crisis.

Partly owing to the huge sex scandal commenced by former French presidential candidate Dominique Strauss-Kahn in New York earlier this year, French Parliament will debate a bill to ban prostitution in France on Tuesday. If passed, it could become law next year.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrived in Germany on Tuesday to advocate for Eurozone officials to definitively resolve the debt crisis.

With joblessness at 17 percent as of October, the country also faces a potential downgrade of its sovereign debt rating by credit agencies.

Biden met with Greece President Karolos Papoulias on Monday before beginning talks with new Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Biden arrived in Greece after traveling from Turkey. This week is seen as crucial for the struggling Eurozone. Italy's new government unveiled austerity measures that European leaders hope will be the start of a turning point in the struggle to keep the euro intact.

The catalyst for strong equities has been centered on the developments in Europe

Toronto's main stock index was higher on Friday morning, on track to post its biggest weekly gain in more than two years, pushed up by strong bank earnings, encouraging U.S. jobs data and talk of more action to ease Europe's debt.

Gold prices concluded a stellar week Friday with a modest gain as prospects of fresh support for weak Eurozone members and short covering offset profit taking.

The euro rose for a fifth straight session against the dollar on Friday, bolstered by speculation that the European Central Bank may lend to weak euro zone countries through the International Monetary Fund.

The International Monetary Fund is happy to play a behind the scenes role in resolving the European debt crisis, which needs to be tackled with fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, the lender's chief Christine Lagarde said on Friday.

Stock index futures briefly extended their gains on Friday after the non-farm payroll report showed accelerated job creation in November and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn biographer Michel Taubmann has written a book he claims gives the French politician's side of the story.

The world's major central banks acted jointly on Wednesday to provide cheaper dollar funding to European banks facing a credit crunch as the euro zone's debt crisis drove EU ministers to urge more IMF help to avert financial disaster.

European shares extended a rally into a fourth session on Wednesday, with miners reversing earlier losses after resource-hungry China cut the reserve requirement for banks to ease credit strains and bolster its economy.

The Nikkei share average ended lower on Wednesday, reversing two days of gains on profit-taking as investors remained cautious over new developments in the Eurozone debt crisis and looked to data later in the week.

Europe's debt crisis has significantly worsened, threatening global markets, so it is essential to stabilise the region's bond markets, European Central Bank governing council member Christian Noyer said on Wednesday.

Stocks fell and the euro weakened Wednesday after Standard & Poor's hit some of the world's leading banks with a credit downgrade and euro zone leaders' move to ramp up the regional bailout fund drew a tepid response.

Asian shares fell and the euro trimmed gains Wednesday as caution set in over the chance for more progress in resolving euro zone debt woes after officials agreed to strengthen a rescue fund and seek more aid from the International Monetary Fund.

Stocks rebounded from seven days of losses on Monday as investors used the latest effort from European leaders to resolve the region's debt crisis as an opportunity to cover short positions.

Germany and France stepped up a drive on Monday for coercive powers to reject euro zone members' budgets that breach EU rules, and the United States kept up the drumbeat of demands from the rest of the world for decisive action.

Germany and France stepped up a drive on Monday for coercive powers to reject national budgets in the euro zone that breach EU rules, as a market rout of European debt eased temporarily on hopes of outside help for Italy and Spain.

Stock index futures jumped on Monday on optimism over the latest round of proposals out of Europe designed to corral the growing Eurozone debt crisis.

Germany and France stepped up a drive on Monday for intrusive powers to reject national budgets in the Eurozone that breach EU rules, as a market rout of European debt eased temporarily on hopes of outside help for Italy and Spain.

Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the rapid escalation of the euro zone sovereign and banking crisis threatens the credit standing of all European government bond ratings.

Italy's economy is fundamentally sound and should be able to win back market confidence if it shows fiscal discipline, European Central Bank member Christian Noyer said on Monday, ruling out a collapse of the euro zone because of the sovereign debt crisis.

Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the rapid escalation of the euro zone sovereign and banking crisis threatens the credit standing of all European government bond ratings.

U.S. stock futures jumped in early electronic trading on Sunday on the latest round of proposals out of Europe designed to corral the growing euro zone debt crisis.

Belgium and Hungary were downgraded late in the week, fueling more fire to the already credit-sensitive region.