Carmakers showing off their latest models at the Brussels motor show later this month have been told to refrain from using scantily dressed women to promote their wares. Reports of lewd behaviour by some male visitors at last year's event prompted Belgium's equal opportunities minister Joelle Milquet to write to the organisers. She criticised the
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Five men accused of the rape and murder of an Indian student appeared in court on Monday to hear charges against them after two of them offered evidence possibly in return for a lighter sentence in the case that has provoked widespread anger. The five men, along with a teenager, are accused of raping the
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A British art sleuth has recovered a painting by French artist Matisse that was stolen from a Stockholm museum 25 years ago. Matisse's "Le Jardin", valued at about 6 million crowns ($916,200), was recovered by Christopher Marinello, an art recovery specialist at the Art Loss Register in London. "It is fantastic that the painting has
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A cat carrying a saw and a mobile phone was "detained" as it entered a prison gate in northeast Brazil, Brazilian media reported on Saturday. Prison guards were surprised when they saw a white cat crossing the main gate of the prison, its body wrapped with tape. A closer look showed the feline also carried
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Hong Kong shares neared a 19-month high on Monday, as investors continued to chase Chinese property and coal sectors despite signs suggesting that the rally in some large caps has become stretched. The Hang Seng Index went into the midday trading break up 0.1% at 23,344.3, nearing its highest level since June 2011 posted last
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Egypt's president added fellow Islamists to a reshuffled government on Sunday and the new finance minister pledged to finish talks on an IMF loan to stave off a currency crisis that risks provoking more popular unrest. A senior IMF official is due in Cairo on Monday to meet Egyptian leaders over the $4.8 billion loan
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Britain's Wm Morrison Supermarkets posted a worsening sales fall over Christmas and said although it was disappointed with its performance it would still meet year profit forecasts. The UK's fourth-biggest grocer behind market leader Tesco , Wal-Mart's Asda, and J Sainsbury, said on Monday sales at stores open over a year, excluding fuel and VAT
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Asian stocks drifted down on Monday as investors booked profits from a New Year rally that had pushed markets to multi-month highs, although financial stocks gained after global regulators decided to relax draft plans for tough new bank liquidity rules. Commodity prices mostly held steady, supported by data showing the U.S. economy continuing on a
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Four Greek banks are bidding for state-controlled Hellenic Postbank in the latest step in the battered sector's consolidation. Postbank, 44% government-owned and deemed to be not viable, is being divided into two parts – a "good" business that will be sold or run as a stand-alone entity, and a "bad" bank that will be liquidated.
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* Financial Mirror Consensus Forecast sees 3% contraction * A happy and (we hope, despite everything) a prosperous new year to our readers. We really would have liked to have started the new year off on a positive note by reporting that our distinguished panel of economists were forecasting better times to come in 2013.
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