Financial Eyes & Ears

VIENNA (AFP) – Austria and Russia signed two agreements for the construction of the Austrian section of the South Stream gas pipeline during a visit by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday.

REYKJAVIK (AFP) – Iceland’s main airport remained closed on Saturday for a second day, as ash from the volcano that shut down European airspace last week spread over the Nordic country.

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WASHINGTON (AFP) – Greece’s urgent plea for a 45 billion euro (60 billion dollar) lifeline to pull itself out of a sea of debt overshadowed a meeting on Saturday of IMF finance ministers in Washington.

KAMOJANG, Indonesia (AFP) – Indonesia has launched an ambitious plan to tap the vast power of its volcanoes and become a world leader in geothermal energy, while trimming greenhouse gas emissions.

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia Saturday clamped down on foreigners buying property after complaints that a rapid influx of Asian money had helped make its housing among the most expensive in the world.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Top Goldman Sachs executives are preparing to tell Congress they were unsure whether US housing prices would rise or fall and did not take any action at odds with the interests of its clients, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

TOKYO (AFP) – Results from Toyota Motor to be released next month are expected to show the auto giant returning to profit in the year to March, despite a massive recall scandal, news reports said Saturday.