EUROPEAN UNION

The euro hit its highest level in nearly three weeks against the dollar on Monday on tentative optimism that Greece will cut a deal with its creditors on a debt swap, prompting a squeeze in short positions.

Eurozone finance ministers will decide on Monday what terms of a Greek debt restructuring they are ready to accept as part of a second bailout package for Athens after negotiators for private creditors said they could not improve their offer.

There are weeks when it can sound as if the European sovereign debt crisis is going round in circles.

Hamas has reportedly urged Meshaal to reconsider.

Plans to launch a European ratings agency to compete with Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings are at an advanced stage, and a new private institution could start business as soon as the first half of this year, German businessman Roland Berger told an Italian newspaper.

India's economy will grow at its slowest pace in two years this fiscal year, as tight monetary policy and a logjam in government policy making stifles investment, a Reuters poll showed.

European Union ministers meeting on Monday will attempt to reach agreement on a new treaty enforcing stricter budget controls in the Eurozone that could allow the bloc's highest court to fine countries that do not adopt key rules.

Major powers signaled on Friday their willingness to reopen talks about curbing Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons but said Tehran must show it is serious about any negotiations.

Oil prices fell on Friday, pressured by economic uncertainty ahead of a possible debt deal in Greece, concerns about China's sluggish manufacturing sector, and weak U.S. petroleum demand.

The volatility, panic, and the resulting tightening of investors' purses that dominated credit markets for much of 2011 is giving way to calm, creating a flood of cash from investors now confident enough to put their money back into corporate bonds. Somewhat surprisingly, crisis-exposed financial institutions, even in Europe, have been able to take advantage.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday warned against military intervention in Iran, fearing that it would not stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program, but instead bring more chaos to the region.

Airlines utilizing the Airbus A380 will be required to conduct enhanced inspections following findings of cracks inside the wings of the aircraft, the European Aviation Safety Agency announced Friday.

Hamas has also called for the European Parliament to intervene on Dweik's behalf.

EU states and the European Parliament have cancelled Monday's talks aimed at striking a deal to tighten laws on the $700 trillion derivatives market, after the states failed to settle on a negotiating position.

The speaker of the Palestinian parliament has been arrested by Israeli soldiers, according to Hamas officials.

Iran's foreign minister warned Arab neighbors on Thursday not to put themselves in a dangerous position by aligning themselves too closely with the United States in the escalating dispute over Tehran's nuclear activity.

The United States will join with Europe and other nations to hammer out a code of conduct for space activities, including how to deal with the growing problem of debris circling Earth, the Obama administration said on Tuesday.

The possibility of a war against Iran is no longer in the realm of fantasy.

Greece and its bondholders have made little progress since resuming stalled talks on a debt swap, three sources close to the talks told Reuters on Thursday, with time to strike a deal and avoid a messy default running out rapidly.

Spain passed its biggest test of market sentiment so far this year on Thursday, selling far more longer-term debt than expected as the government pressed ahead with efforts to tackle its problems with the help of a European Central Bank backstop.

In late October, as MF Global Holdings Ltd teetered toward bankruptcy, Jon Corzine phoned his close-knit circle of Wall Street friends for help.