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UK Arrests 12 over 'Cyber Plot' to Steal from Santander Bank

British police said Friday they have arrested 12 men over a "sophisticated" plot to remotely take control of a computer at a branch of Santander bank and steal millions of pounds.

Police found a device fitted to a computer in a branch of the bank in London which would have enabled the suspects to download data from the desktop machine.

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Bailouts Still Key Issue as Eurozone Finance Ministers Meet

Eurozone finance ministers meet in calmer times Friday but still need to ensure bailed-out member states meet their targets amid growing speculation some will need more help to get back on track.

The informal talks are overshadowed by upcoming elections in Germany, the 17-nation bloc's paymaster and most powerful economy where the prospect of any more taxpayer funded rescues is hugely unpopular.

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China Free-Trade Zone Spurs Hope for Reform Revival

A planned free-trade zone in Shanghai is raising hopes that China's new leaders will revive long-stalled economic reforms as they seek to make their mark.

China has become the world's second-largest economy and a driver of global growth thanks to a boom unleashed three decades ago when the Communist Party loosened state control of business and began to embrace the market.

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Congress Bickers as U.S. Government Shutdown Looms

Divided American lawmakers careened Thursday towards a budget deadline that could see the U.S. government shut down on October 1, as their leaders sniped over who is to blame.

The debate over how to fund government is once again pushing Congress to the brink, with Democrats and Republicans seemingly unable even to compromise on a stop-gap measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to keep federal offices and programs running for even two more months.

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Unemployed Italians Stage Colosseum Protest

Around 40 unemployed security guards staged a protest on Thursday on top of the ancient Arch of Constantine next to the Colosseum in Rome, an Agence France Presse photographer saw.

They climbed up on scaffolding surrounding the 1,700-year-old, 21-meter (69-foot) arch and unfurled a banner reading: "Work, Rights and Respect".

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OECD: Growth in G20 Countries Accelerates

Growth in the Group of 20 emerging and advanced economies accelerated in the second quarter of this year to 0.9 percent from 0.6 percent in the previous three month period, the OECD said Thursday.

Most G20 members saw growth pick up momentum in April through May, with Turkey posting the highest quarter-on-quarter expansion of 2.1 percent, said the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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Oxfam: Millions More Europeans at Risk of Poverty if Austerity Drags on

Up to 25 million more Europeans are at risk of sinking into poverty by 2025 if governments push on with austerity measures, international aid agency Oxfam warned Wednesday, calling such policies "moral and economic nonsense".

"Europe's handling of the economic crisis threatens to roll-back decades of social rights," said Natalia Alonso, head of Oxfam's EU office.

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U.S. Still on the Mend, 5 Years after Lehman Collapse

It is an anniversary without celebration: five years after the implosion of banking giant Lehman Brothers sparked the worst crisis in generations, the U.S. can say it avoided catastrophe.

After just barely pulling back from the precipice, industry is picking up, home prices are gaining, banks are stable and American consumers have started spending -- albeit still with great caution.

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Eurozone Finance Ministers Tackle Greece, Debt Rescues

Eurozone finance ministers meet Friday aiming to ensure that bailed-out member states stick to the rescue script, as further help needed by some waits out the German elections.

"We are going to listen to all the countries that have been bailed out," to see what progress has been made and what more needs to be done, one European government source said.

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UN Agency: One Third of Food Wasted, Costs World Economy $750bn

One third of the food produced worldwide is wasted, costing the global economy around $750 billion (570 billion euros) a year, a new report by the UN food agency said Wednesday.

The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said some 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year, with the Asia region including China seen as the worst culprit.

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