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France Warns Security Spending Means Won't Meet EU Budget Target

Additional spending on security in the wake of the Paris terror attacks means that France will not be able to meet its EU budget obligations, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Tuesday.

With the government planning to hire an additional 8,500 law enforcement officers, France's EU-agreed spending limits "will certainly be exceeded as these resources ... won't be taken from other budgets. We have to do this and Europe should understand this," Valls said.

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Hefty Fine on MTN Remains: Nigeria Telecoms Regulator

Nigeria's telecoms regulator has said a $5.2 billion fine imposed on South Africa's MTN remains valid until talks with the company are concluded.

Africa's biggest mobile phone operator was handed the penalty for failing to deactivate 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards in breach of a Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) order.

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Dijsselbloem: Greece Creditors Ready to Pay out 12bn Euros

Greece's international creditors are ready to pay out 12 billion euros ($12.9 billion) in much needed bailout funds and bank aid, Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijssebloem said on Tuesday.

"This is good news," Dijsselbloem said in a statement, adding that the funds would be paid once the Greek parliament adopts fresh reforms on Thursday.

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Oil-Rich Saudi to Privatize Airports to Diversify Economy

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority has announced a plan to privatize its airports by 2020, as the kingdom looks to diversify its economy to boost non-oil income.

The initiative was set to be launched in the first quarter of 2016 with the privatization of the capital's main international airport, said the state-owned General Authority for Civil Aviation.

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Nepal Puts Firewood on Sale as Fuel Crisis Bites

Hundreds of people queued in Kathmandu on Monday to buy firewood after the Nepal government said it was putting thousands of kilos on sale to try to ease a crippling fuel shortage.

The move came as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called on neighboring India to end what he called an "undeclared blockade" that has left the country desperately short of fuel and other supplies.

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Euro Sinks as Safe Havens Rally after Paris Attacks

The euro fell against its major peers in Asia Monday as dealers shifted back to safer investments after the deadly weekend terror attacks in Paris reinforced concerns about the impact on the already struggling eurozone economy.

The risk-off mood, also stoked by fresh data showing that Japan's economy slipped back into recession in the third quarter, weighed especially on the euro as foreign exchange markets opened for the first time since the attacks that killed at least 129 people.

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Japan Dips into Recession in Stumble for 'Abenomics'

Japan's economy slipped into recession for the second time since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power nearly three years ago, data showed Monday, dealing a fresh blow to his drive to kickstart weak growth and end years of deflation.

Abe has staked his reputation on a policy blitz of fiscal spending, aggressive monetary policy easing and structural reforms -- dubbed Abenomics -- aimed at reviving the world's third-largest economy

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Oil Prices up on Geopolitical Tensions Sparked by Paris attacks

Oil prices climbed in Asia Monday on geopolitical tensions sparked by the deadly terror attacks in Paris but analysts said a global crude supply glut is likely to restrict any gains.

French warplanes pounded the Islamic State group's de facto capital in Syria on Sunday in retaliation for the carnage in the French capital claimed by the jihadists, sparking fears of escalating tensions in the oil-producing but politically volatile Middle East.

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Greece, Creditors Resolve 'Many' Issues

Greece and its creditors have agreed on "many" of the issues that had to be resolved for Athens to receive more bailout funds but will hold more talks in the coming days, Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Sunday.

Dijsselbloem tweeted "good progress in (the) talks," adding the two sides had reached "agreement on many issues" ahead of more talks on Tuesday.

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Uphill Task for Nigeria's New Economic Team

Nigeria finally has a government after a wait of more than five months but the new ministers have their work cut out to reverse a damaging slump in Africa's leading economy.

Falling global oil prices have shrunk government revenues and slowed growth to a near standstill, while the naira currency is weak, inflation high and unemployment causing widespread concern.

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