Economic growth can be said to be an elixir for struggling economies, but in Europe it will come very slowly to the nations that need it most.

European finance ministers are to assemble in Brussels to have discussion regarding the particulars of a bail-out amount of more than 85bn Euros ($113bn; £72bn) in concern to the Irish Republic.

The council from Eurozone nations shall also be united by those from outside and that includes UK Chancellor George Osborne.

European Union regulators have applied brakes to Oracle's $7.4bnillion acquisition of Sun Microsystems.

European Union regulators fear that the proposed merger could become lethal for the growth of a free corporate database program as Oracle would gain too much power in the market for database software.

Prague  - In what is to be a highlight of his five-nation European tour, US President Barack Obama is to deliver on Sunday in Prague a keynote speech on Europe and nuclear non-proliferation at an open-air meeting in the centre of the Czech capital.

Eli Lilly & Co and Japan's Daiichi Sankyo Co won European approval for their blood-thinning drug Efient, also known as prasugrel to treat heart patients with acute coronary syndrome who get artery-clearing angioplasty procedures.

Washington  - The United States Thursday urged Russia and the Ukraine to resolve their dispute over payments and debts owed for natural gas in a "transparent, commercial manner."

Moscow  - Ukraine asked the European Union to mediate in the escalating dispute with Russia on gas deliveries, as talks failed ahead of a 8.00 am (0700 GMT) cut-off date, a Ukrainian official said.

Bogdan Sokolovsky, Ukraine's representative for energy security said his country asked the EU to mediate, the Interfax news agency reported from Kiev.

Prague  - The Czech Republic assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Thursday, nearly two decades after communism collapsed in the central European country of 10 million.

Buenos Aires  - The European Union and Brazil intend to speak in the future "with one voice" on the international finance crisis, the presidents of France and Brazil said Monday at the second EU- Brazil summit.

Brussels  - Asked over the summer what the European Union should do about Russia's invasion of Georgia, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt replied, "obviously, have a meeting."