A look at economic developments around the world (AP)

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets of the world Friday:

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PARIS - The Minister of finance free, work hard and chic of France, Christine Lagarde, has emerged as likely Europe's choice to lead the Monetary Fund International.

The IMF insists the departure of former Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was not bad its day-to-day activities, but it is clearly under pressure to find a quick successor to lead an organization that provides billions of dollars in loans to stabilize the global economy. A new leader would also attract attention far the sordid scandal surrounding Strauss-Kahn, who leave this week to face charges in New York that he tried to rape a servant of the hotel.

Lagarde chances for the top job FMF got boost when Kemal Dervis, a former Minister of finance for the Turkey, said that he did not want to be considered for employment.

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Athens, Greece - agency rating Fitch downgraded The grade of the Greece by three notches more debt in undesirable situation, another blow of indebted countries. Greece borrowing rate spiked to new records.

Fitch cited of problems with the implementation of the country of essential economic reforms, said that European officials are delay and must be expanded.

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LONDON - Stocks in Europe turned lower after an update disappointing Gap clothing chain reinforced concerns about the US economy, while a further downgrade rating of the Greece credit has weighed on the struggling euro.

Concerns about the pace of the recovery of the U.S. have been the main engine of the stock market over the past two weeks after a run of disappointing economic news.

The FTSE 100 index leading British shares closed 0.1%, while the Germany DAX fell by 1.2% and the CAC 40 in France has been less than 0.9%. All three indexes were trading higher for most of the day, but the decline in Wall Street has changed the mood.

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TOKYO - earlier in Asia, index Nikkei 225 of the closed Japan 0.1% lower. ABN the acquired South Korea 0.8 per cent, Hang Seng in Hong Kong was about 0.2 per cent higher, while S & P/ASX 200 the Australia decreased by 0.5%.

Actions with Chinese 苏童 lower as investors fretted about the Economic Outlook and were watching for possible new measures tightening inflation by central banks in the country.

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HONG KONG - Thousands of investors in Hong Kong facing large financial losses related to the Investment Bank collapsed Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has voted to accept an agreement to return part of their money.

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MADRID - Spanish Prime Minister avoided saying whether it will order police to disperse crowds if they attend prohibits election-eve protests, part of a snowballing movement that has riveted the country.

Thousands demonstrated in their bleak economic future. They are angry over the economic crisis and political parties, they see inept, corrupt and indifferent to the difficulty in obtaining by ordinary people.

Municipal and regional elections are scheduled for Sunday. The Socialist party widely expected to suffer big losses, at the ballot box may be even in traditional bastions.

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WASHINGTON - The White House expects world leaders to back the appeal of the President Barack Obama of financial support for the Tunisia and the Egypt meetings of G-8 the next week, but said that it was unlikely that the Summit will produce agreement on a program.

Interim Prime Ministers, the Tunisia and the Egypt will attend the Summit in Deauville, in France, to present their plans for the stabilization and modernization of their economies. While authorities say the G-8 countries discuss their role in this process, they say that it is too early to reach an agreement on the amounts of aid.

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FERMONT, Quebec - Global steel giant ArcelorMittal will create 8 900 construction and operating mining jobs with an expansion of 2.16 billion of its complex Québec near Labrador mines.

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AMSTERDAM - Klaas Knot was appointed President of the Central Bank of the Netherlands, by giving him a key role in the reorganization of supervision of the country of the banking system still recovering from the global financial crisis.

The appointment also grants Knot a seat on the Board of Directors of the European Central Bank, where the Netherlands approves generally German views on policy.

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AMSTERDAM - ABN Amro, the Dutch Government-owned bank, said first-quarter profit more than doubled the cost reduction and good margins.

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TOKYO - Central Bank of Japan kept its unchanged key to virtually zero interest rates for an economy of beaten earth earthquake.

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TOKYO - The President of the Japanese utility which runs a nuclear power plant has devastated tsunami resigned in disgrace after reporting major financial losses in the history of the company. He said that he was resigning to take responsibility for the current crisis.

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