Empowerment of women and equal opportunities are crucial for driving a stronger global economic recovery, and for revitalizing Japan, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Friday.

The global recovery is too tepid and too turbulent, IMF chief Christine Lagarde told a gathering organized by the Japanese government and business groups to support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's campaign to promote a stronger role for women in the economy.

The crisis-hit French economy is facing its "hour of recovery or decline," the head of its central bank said Thursday, warning the economy would stay stuck if the government did not implement immediate economic reform.

"France is not beyond repair but this is the hour of recovery or decline. We have to choose and of course, we have to choose recovery," Christian Noyer told French radio.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi Thursday played down the drop in oil prices saying this is not the first time crude prices slumped.

"Prices of oil always go up and down so I really don't know why the big fuss about it this time," Nuaimi told reporters ahead of a regular meeting for oil ministers of the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in Kuwait City.

Royal Bank of Scotland will move its registered offices to England if Scotland votes for independence from Britain in next week's referendum, the state-owned lender said on Thursday.

In the event of a "Yes" vote in the historic poll on September 18, "RBS believes it would be necessary to re-domicile the Bank's holding company and its primary rated operating entity to England", it said in a statement.

Oil prices fell in Asia Thursday after coming under pressure due to weak global demand and a supply glut even as U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to destroy jihadist militants in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery eased 14 cents to $91.53 while Brent crude for October fell four cents to $98.00 in afternoon trade.

San Francisco-based Coinbase is taking its Bitcoin wallet to Europe with an aim of enticing more people there to use the digital currency.

Coinbase on Wednesday launched in 13 European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.

A top Kuwaiti oil executive said the energy-rich Gulf states are not worried by the slide in oil prices after Brent crude slumped to a 17-month low Wednesday.

"We are not worried at the drop in oil prices; we expect it to rebound to its previous levels soon. We are optimistic," the acting oil undersecretary, Ali bin Sabt, told reporters on the sidelines of a Gulf meeting in Kuwait City.

The president of the Italian Ferrari luxury sports car company, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, is to leave his post on October 13, the Fiat auto group announced on Wednesday, just days after the executive said he wanted to stay.

Venezuela's inflation rate has soared to 63.4% -- the highest in Latin America -- the Central Bank announced Tuesday.

Argentina will build a soaring skyscraper set to be the tallest in Latin America, President Cristina Kirchner said Tuesday.