The cost of protecting government debt against default in France as well as several peripheral euro zone sovereigns rose on Monday over heightened worries about risks to Hungary's burgeoning debt. The premium investors demand to hold French 10-year bonds rather than safer haven German Bunds <FR10YT=TWEB><DE10YT=TWEB> also rose to its highest since late April 2009

World stocks fell sharply on Monday and the euro hit four-year lows against the dollar as investors reacted to signs the U.S. economic recovery may be slowing and to new debt worries centred on eastern Europe. MSCI's all-country world stock index was down 1.5 percent and its emerging market counterpart was off 2.6 percent. Investors

European shares fell sharply on Monday for the second consecutive session on worries over euro zone debt problems after Hungary said its debt problems were similar to Greece on Friday, with banks the major losers. By 0705 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top shares was down 1.2 percent at 986.17 points. Banking

The chairman of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker, dismissed concerns on Sunday that Hungary might face a Greek-style debt crisis and said the current level of the euro did not worry him. "The situation in Hungary doesn't worry me," Juncker, who chairs the regular monthly meetings of euro zone finance ministers,

Spain are favourites to be crowned World Cup champions, narrowly ahead of Brazil, according to a global field of 74 soccer fan economists polled by Reuters. Twenty-four respondents said Spain would shed their reputation for perennial disappointment this year and clinch the title for the first time, a tad more than the 23 who expected

Japan's Nikkei average fell more than 3 percent on Monday as investors, spooked by debt woes in Hungary and the euro's fall to a more than eight-year low against the yen, sold shares across the board. Exporters such as Canon Inc were hit particularly hard, while Mitsui & Co and other trading houses slid after

The euro sank to four-year lows on Monday as stocks and commodities fell after disappointing U.S. jobs data and angst about euro zone debt problems fed fears the world economy may falter in its recovery. Sharp drops in prices of risky assets across the board heightened market volatility and further convinced already nervous investors to

Oil fell to below $70 for the first time in almost two weeks on Monday after disappointing U.S. jobs data and warnings about Hungary's economy re-ignited concern about energy demand growth and Europe's debt crisis. The euro fell to a four-year low as investors fled to the dollar, shedding riskier equities and commodities and sending