The USD opens New York mixed after a quiet two-way overnight session aided by non-USD cross spreading; minor economic news helped to underpin the majors as the week gets underway. Overnight China announced a large economic stimulus plan and "appropriate measures" to be taken in order to continue China's record expansion; traders note that most of the Asian currencies were slightly weaker against the Yen and USD on the news. Equities rallied in Asia as well taking their cue from the news despite ongoing concerns of global recession; Wall Street is expected to open firmer today as well likely due to spillover effects from European bourses which are mostly higher as well.

Berlin - A senior Rwandan official, Rose Kabuye, who has been arrested in Germany on a European warrant, has agreed to be extradited to France, a justice official said Monday in Frankfurt.

Kabuye, 47, is chief of protocol to Rwandan President Paul Kagame and a leading member of his Rwandan Patriotic Front.

After her Sunday detention when she landed in Frankfurt, Rwandan authorities immediately summoned the German ambassador in Kigali to protest.

Madrid - Spanish champions Real Madrid have signed up Alipio Duarte Brandao, a 16 year-old Brazilian winger, his agent was on Monday quoted as saying.

The agent, Helder Daniel, said that Alipio will start to train this week with Real's third division nursery side, called Real Madrid Castilla.

News reports quoted Daniel as saying that the teenage winger "is very happy" with the deal.

Alipio was on the books of Portuguese side Rio Ave, who will receive around 550.000 euros (699.925 dollars) from the deal.

Tirana - Albanian rescuers recovered three bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building Monday, as meanwhile police took nine people into custody in connection with the accident.

A 12-year-old girl, her mother aged 38 and an elderly woman, 65, were killed Sunday afternoon when their five-storey building collapsed in Gjirokaster in southern Albania.

Though all of the tenants were accounted for, firefighters continued sifting through the wreckage. Reports said 20 people were injured.

Sofia  - Workers at the Kremikovtzi steel mill in Bulgaria launched a further protest Monday, demanding backlogged salaries and a programme to save the company from liquidation.

Apart from salaries unpaid since July, labour unions want the state, which holds a 25-per cent stake in the bankrupt mill and holds most of its liabilities, to step in and save it from liquidation.

The majority-71-per-cent stake belongs to Pramod Mittal, the brother of the Indian-born steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

Hamburg - Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has escaped the wrath of German football authorities following some outspoken criticism of a referee, but two others may not be so fortunate.

The German Football Federation (DFB) said its control panel would be investigating both Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp and Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro following incidents in the weekend's Bundesliga matches.