French carmaker Renault signed a $1.3 billion joint venture agreement with China's Dongfeng Monday, finally ending a decade without a manufacturing presence in the world's biggest car market.

Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn described the project as a "strategic alliance".

Japanese business confidence has soared to a six-year high, the country's central bank said Monday, underscoring growing optimism among major companies despite a slowdown in the world's third-largest economy.

The Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey, which polled more than 10,500 firms, surged to its strongest level since December 2007, with a reading for large manufacturers rising to plus 16 from plus 12 in September.

Hundreds of Cypriots protested on Saturday against harsh austerity measures imposed since the eurozone country agreed a tough bailout agreement in March.

Demonstrators from mainly leftwing unions, students and others gathered outside the finance ministry and marched on the presidential palace to voice their anger at a steep fall in the standard of living.

Algerian flagship carrier Air Algerie plans to spend around 60 billion dinars ($762 million/556 million euros) upgrading its fleet, chairman Mohamed Salah Boultif said on Saturday.

"The company plans to acquire 16 new aircraft between now and 2017 for around 60 billion dinars," Boultif told a news conference.

Protesters clashed with police at anti-austerity demonstrations in Rome, Turin and Venice on Saturday, as part of a wave of social action led by Italy's Forconi (Pitchforks) movement of farmers and truck drivers.

Students threw paint bombs at the police in Turin in northern Italy, a once-mighty industrial hub that has been laid low by the economic crisis and has been at the epicenter of protests that began this week.

The International Monetary Fund approved the 12th and last review of Ireland's progress under its three-year rescue program Friday, allowing a final $890 million in support of its financial rebuilding.

"Owing to steadfast policy implementation by the authorities, the EU-IMF supported program has been completed successfully," the IMF said.

When the top U.S. Republican in Congress slams far-right groups as "ridiculous," it's clear the Tea Party is in trouble and that its influence in the halls of power has hit a snag.

This week, the House of Representatives achieved a first since 1986 by resoundingly approving a two-year bipartisan budget deal in a divided government.

Is Europe on the verge of a popular uprising? The question was asked by one of Greece's most respected newspapers as another year of painful austerity drew to a close.

If public anger does explode on the streets, wrote Kathimerini, it will not be provoked by politicians or labor unions, but come from ordinary people who "never imagined themselves doing such a thing".

No bailout of crisis-hit Slovenia will be needed, the country's government and the European Commission said Thursday as results of long-awaited bank stress tests were published.

Slovenian central bank governor Bostjan Jazbec announced Thursday that the small eurozone state will need 4.8 billion euros ($6.6 billion) to recapitalize its troubled banks, citing the results of EU-supervised stress tests.

Japan and Southeast Asian countries agreed Saturday to strive for freedom of movement in the skies, in the first major gathering of the continent's leaders since China ramped up regional tensions with a controversial air defense zone.

The cautious show of support for Tokyo in its bitter row with Beijing came as Japan pledged $20 billion in aid and grants for the region.