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Austria's Nowotny: ECB Bank Tests May Be 'Too Strict'

The new stress tests which Europe's banks are being subjected to might be too strict, the head of the Austrian central bank, Ewald Nowotny, warned in a newspaper interview Monday. 

"The test will be very strict, perhaps too strict," Nowotny told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

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Crude Prices Rise in Asia on Iraq Violence

Crude prices rose to nine-month highs in Asian trade Monday as investors kept a wary eye on the worsening crisis in Iraq, where insurgents were advancing on the capital Baghdad.

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate for July delivery jumped 56 cents to $107.47 a barrel in afternoon trade, while Brent crude for August surged 62 cents to $113.08.

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Russia Cuts Ukraine's Gas after Talks Fail

Europe risked gas supply disruptions Monday after Russia rejected an 11th-hour compromise deal and cut supplies to Ukraine in a feud that has further fractured East-West relations.

Ukraine hosted the last-gasp talks hoping to keep an energy shortage from compounding the problems of the new pro-Western leaders as they confront a two-month separatist insurgency threatening the very survival of the ex-Soviet state.

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Ukraine: Russia 'Preliminarily' Agrees to Gas Talks in Kiev Saturday

Russia has given its preliminary agreement to attend EU-brokered gas negotiations in Kiev on Saturday aimed at averting an imminent halt in deliveries, Ukraine's energy minister told AFP.

"We are hoping that these negotiations take place today in Kiev. The Russian side has given its preliminary agreement to attend," Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said by telephone.

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Pope Says Global Economy Discards Young

Pope Francis launched a sweeping attack on the world's economic system in an interview released Friday, saying it discards the young, puts money ahead of people and survives on the profits of war.

The 77-year-old leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said some countries had a youth unemployment rate of more than 50 percent, with many millions in Europe seeking work in vain.

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China Invests in Development to Enhance LatAm Presence

China, whose presence in Latin America until now was largely based on an appetite for raw materials, is diversifying investments by financing much needed development projects, analysts say.

At a summit, opening Saturday in Santa Cruz, the G77 + China group of developing nations meets on its 50th anniversary to promote economic development.

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Morocco Raises 1bn Euro Bond on International Market

Morocco has raised one billion euros ($0.7 billion) on the international market in a 10-year bond at 3.5 percent, Finance Minister Mohamed Boussaid said on Friday.

The bond marks the kingdom's "return" to the Euro market and involves British, French, German, Gulf Arab and other investors, Boussaid told Agence France Presse.

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Alitalia Board Gives Green Light to Etihad Deal

The board of struggling Italian airline Alitalia has approved a tie-up proposal with the Emirati carrier Etihad Airways, a company statement said on Friday.

Alitalia chairman Roberto Colaninno and chief executive Gabriele Del Torchio are charged with negotiating details of the deal with the Abu Dhabi airline, said the statement issued after a marathon meeting.

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Qatar to Pay Former Hamas Civil Servant Salaries

Qatar is stepping in temporarily to help the new Palestinian unity government pay former employees of Islamist movement Hamas' disbanded Gaza government, an official said Friday.

The Gulf state said it would contribute a total of $60 million (44 million euros) while the Palestinian Authority grapples with a pay row, the first challenge for a government formed to try to end years of Palestinian rivalry.

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Russia Plans No Ukraine Gas Talks Before Cutoff Deadline

Russia's energy ministry said on Friday it intends to hold no new talks with either the European Union or Ukraine before Moscow's deadline to cut off energy supplies unless Kiev pays its gas debt.

"We are not planning any meetings so far," energy ministry spokeswoman Olga Golant told Agenec France Presse. Russian officials had no plans to discuss the matter over the phone either before the cutoff early Monday, she added.

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