. Sweden's centre-right coalition government, seeking a new four-year term in an election next month, has pledged tax cuts for pensioners and more health spending. The centre-right Alliance bloc, led by the Moderate Party of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, has taken the lead in recent opinion polls from the centre-left bloc of Social Democrats, the Left
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Egypt's general prosecutor ordered that the government's head of fine arts be detained for four days pending an investigation into the theft of a Van Gogh painting worth an estimated $55 mln, state media said. Mohsen Shaalan, first undersecretary at the Culture Ministry, and four other officials have been accused of "negligence and failing to
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Greek business and household bank deposits shrank for a sixth straight month in June to reach 216.5 bln euros, central bank data showed on Monday. The data showed that since the start of the year deposits in this category are down by 21.4 bln euros. Shrinking deposits have added to the strains of Greek banks,
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An armed man released the hostages he had taken during a bank robbery in Athens' port of Piraeus on Monday and turned himself in, police said. Three men had stormed into a National Bank of Greece branch on Monday morning. Two were immediately arrested as they tried to flee but the third went back into
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Pakistan braced for more flooding in the south as officials were due to hold talks in Washington on Monday with the International Monetary Fund on how to shore up the battered economy to maintain stability. The IMF said it would review Pakistan's budget and economic prospects because of the magnitude of a disaster that has
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Greece's cash-strapped mobile phone operator Wind Hellas said on Monday sales and operating revenue continued dropping in the second quarter, as recession and competition kept weighing on results. Total revenues dropped to 202.3 mln euros from 216.9 mln euros in the first quarter, the company said in a presentation on its web site. Adjusted EBITDA
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Russia has enough grain to cover its needs after harvesting 38% less in 2010, a senior official said on Monday, but his data indicated the former exporter is likely to import millions of tonnes. Russia, which had been the world's third-largest wheat exporter, was hit by a severe drought in many producing regions that destroyed
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Formula One signed up Swiss bank UBS as a global partner on Monday in a deal the sport will hope marks a turnaround after the exit of several other financial institutions due to the economic crisis. No financial details were given for a deal that will be presented formally at next month's Singapore Grand Prix.
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Star Alliance partners Continental Airlinesand Greek carrier Aegean said on Monday they started codesharing on flights between New York and Athens. Pending government approval, Aegean will also codeshare on Continental flights from New York to Paris and Rome, offering the alliance network improved access to Greek vacation hotspots. Established in 1997, the Star Alliance network
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World stocks rose from last week's one-month low on Monday as a slew of corporate takeover activity and an encouraging euro zone business survey helped ease concerns about a global economic slowdown. Mining shares gained as financial markets bet Australia's inconclusive weekend elections would lead to a change of government, spelling the end to a
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