Debt-crippled Greece's budget deficit is expected to hit 9.6 percent of economic output in 2011, about half a percentage point above target, the development minister acknowledged Wednesday.

Michalis Chryssochoidis said that an increase in the use of European Union structural development funds had contributed to lowering government overspending from 10.6 percent of gross domestic product in 2010.

The gulf between rich and poor and a simultaneous surge in the youth population and that of retirees are among the factors threatening to sew the "seeds of dystopia", a new report warned Wednesday.

The World Economic Forum warned in its Global Risks 2012 report that social upheaval and vulnerability to further economic shocks and risk were undermining the progress of globalization.

The European Union revised downwards on Wednesday its figure for Eurozone growth over the third quarter of last year, to 0.1 percent.

The previous figure given was 0.2 percent and detailed EU data showed that a drop on France's previously published growth rate between July and September, from 0.4 percent to 0.3 percent, impacted the revision in gross domestic product (GDP).

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was due to meet IMF chief Christine Lagarde later Tuesday for talks set to focus on Greece as it races to reduce its debt in a bid to secure more aid.

A day after Merkel hosted French President Nicholas Sarkozy for their first tete-a-tete of 2012, she will press on with an intensive three-day diplomatic push as the Eurozone crisis shows no signs of abating.

Ratings agency Fitch said on Tuesday it does not plan to downgrade France's top triple-A credit rating in 2012 unless the country suffers major economic shocks.

"Fitch maintains its position from December. In the absence of important shocks that could be linked to a strong worsening of the situation in the Eurozone, Fitch does not foresee modifying its negative outlook (on the ratings) before 2013," a Fitch spokeswoman said.

Britain's government on Tuesday approved the construction of a high speed rail network linking London with cities in central and northern England from 2026 at a cost of almost £33 billion.

Supporters of High Speed 2, which will see journey times between London and Britain's second biggest city Birmingham slashed to 49 minutes from around 1.5 hours now, say it will boost Britain's economy in both the short and long term.

China's Premier Wen Jiabao will this week visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid mounting international tensions over oil-rich Iran.

Saudi Arabia is already the largest provider of oil to energy-hungry China, which is under pressure to secure the energy supplies it needs to keep its booming economy going.

Asian markets were mixed on Monday as worries over the Eurozone debt crisis were tempered by better-than-expected U.S. jobs data, while the under-pressure euro touched fresh lows.

South Korea's benchmark Kospi index closed 0.90 percent, or 16.65 points, down at 1,826.49, Sydney edged down 3.1 points to 4,105.4 and Hong Kong closed up 1.47 percent, or 272.66 points, at 18,865.72.

Oil prices rose on Monday after the United States stepped up pressure on Iran over the Islamic Republic's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz -- a key shipping route for oil exports to the West.

Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February climbed 33 cents to $113.39 a barrel in early London deals.

The German trade surplus grew in November as exports increased and imports declined, official data showed on Monday.

Europe's biggest economy exported goods worth 90.7 billion euros ($115 billion) in seasonally-adjusted terms in November, 2.5 percent more than in October, the national statistics office Destatis said.