Key Asian markets ended mixed on Tuesday, ahead of a key German ruling on the euro zone's bailout funds. Japan's Nikkei-225 index fell 0.7 percent; China's Shanghai Composite index also dropped 0.7 percent; and South Korea's Kospi index shed 0.2 percent.

But Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.2 percent; and and Singapore's Straits Times index added 0.3 percent. China, meanwhile, posted a wider-than-expected trade surplus in August, as imports unexpectedly contracted. Exports rose 2.7% in August from a year earlier, indicating relatively weak overseas demand. Imports dropped a surprising 2.6%, against expectations for a small rise.

The European markets fell, amid concern that developments in Spain or Germany could derail the European Central Bank's bond-buying plan. So key stock indices, UK's FTSE-100 and France's CAC-40 lost 0.4 percent, each, while Germany's DAX fell 0.2 percent in intra-day trade on Tuesday.

collieryकोयला-खान Unemployment across the 17-nation eurozone hit a record 18 million in July. The EU statistics agency Eurostat today said, some 88,000 more people were added to the jobless total and the unemployment rate remained at 11.3. per cent. Eurostat said the over 18 million jobless total in July, was the highest since records began in 1995. The highest unemployment rate in the eurozone was in Spain, at 25.1 per cent. 

The lowest was in Austria, at 4.5 per cent. Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in 10 eurozone countries, increased in 16 and remained stable in Slovenia. Spain and Greece, which are struggling to tackle sovereign debt and banking crises, recorded jobless rates of more than 50 per cent in the under-25s age-group.

Germany's ratification of the European Union's fiscal pact on budgetary discipline and the permanent bailout fund, ESM, will be delayed at least by two months.It was due to country's highest court decison that it will rule on fiscal pact and ESM constitutionality only by mid-September. The decision by the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe yesterday freezes the plans to implement two main initiatives to resolve the euro-zone debt crisis until it delivers verdict on September 12. In september the court will decide whether these initiatives are in line with the German constitution. The court has been examining since last Tuesday a number of petitions filed by lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties, the Left party, a group of leading economists and the citizens' group "more democracy", urging the court to issue a temporary injunction on the fiscal pact and the ESM

China and the European Union (EU) today pledged to set a good example of international cooperation in the 21st century. In a joint press release after the third round of China-EU high-level strategic dialogue in Beijing, the two sides agreed that they should be open to new ideas for working together effectively, and remain committed to be a good example of international cooperation in the 21st century. 

The two day dialogue which began yesterday, was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton. China and the European Union vowed to continue to consolidate their comprehensive strategic partnership on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

During the dialogue, the two sides also agreed to hold regular dialogue on defense and security policy and stressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation in anti-piracy naval escorts.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has hailed a decision by eurozone Finance Ministers to help Spain shore up its struggling banks as a victory for the European common currency.

The eurozone ministers agreed on Saturday to lend Madrid up to 100 billion euros to help banks hit by bad property loans. The US and the International Monetary Fund also welcomed the move.

Mr Rajoy told a news conference in Madrid that it was part of efforts by his centre-right government to restore Spain's public finances and carry out structural reforms. He said the rescue would help the process of restoring the credibility of the Spanish economy.

Reducing the risk of nuclear terrorism is high on the agenda of discussions in the two-day nuclear security summit The World leaders at the summit will review the progress made since the first nuclear security summit held in Washington in 2010. Over 50 Heads of States and Governments are participating in the summit. 

They include U.S. President Barack Obama, his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani apart from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Heads of international organisations like U.N., IAEA, European Union and Interpol were also participating in the summit. 

the Prime Minister's summit reports from the venue that the U.S. President and the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh exchanged pleasantaries at the beginning of the summit. The South Korean President is hosting a dinner in honour of visiting dignitaries