BusinessWeek Online - For most of August, business across Europe grinds to a halt as Germans, Italians, and the rest of the Continent head off for month-long vacations. This year, Europe's sun-seekers may want to savor their time away from the office a little more than usual. That's because bad economic news awaits their return to work as the euro zone -- the 15-country bloc that uses the euro as its currency -- moves headlong toward recession.

AP - The dollar soared against the euro early Friday as euro zone economies fret about rising inflation and slowing growth.

AP - Euro-zone growth braked sharply in the second quarter as major economies Germany, France and Italy shrank, EU statistics showed Thursday, with high fuel and food prices holding back consumer spending.

AP - A recession is likely to descend on Britain within the next six to nine months, the British Chambers of Commerce warned on Monday.

AP - German investor confidence recovered from its 16-year low in August, rising unexpectedly by 8.4 points as fears of an economic downturn in Europe's biggest economy appeared to moderate, a key survey released Tuesday found.

AFP - Britain's economy stopped growing in the second quarter of 2008, recording the weakest quarterly growth rate for 16 years and leaving the country on the brink of recession, analysts said Friday.

AP - Consumer confidence in Europe's biggest economy declined for a fourth month in a row, sliding to another five-year low as lower energy prices failed to bolster Germans' likelihood of buying new goods, a report released Tuesday found.

Reuters - Indian shares extended losses to 2 percent on Thursday afternoon, ahead of weekly inflation data and a fall in European markets.

AP - Euro area inflation fell in August from a record high, offering some relief as economic confidence plunged to the lowest level in five years, the European Commission said Friday.