US President Obama hosts an opening dinner for G8 leaders, discussing North Korea, Syria and Iran, with the eurozone crisis likely to top Saturday's agenda.

Egypt's economic crisis sets major task for country's next leader

Offering shoes and handbags as security for a loan

Spanish energy giant Repsol cancels a contract to provide gas to Argentina, in a continuing row after Buenos Aries nationalised one of its subsidiaries.

Greek officials say Germany's Chancellor Merkel has suggested a euro referendum, but Berlin denies the report, as world leaders gather in the US for a G8 summit meeting.

Facebook shares end a volatile first day of trading at $38.23, barely above the company's initial pricing, having initially jumped more than 10%.

Spain's Repsol oil company says a first attempt to find oil off Cuba's northern coast has been unsuccessful.

European markets suffer a nervous session with investors unsettled by a downgrade for Spanish banks and the political crisis in Greece.

The EU Commission and European Central Bank are making contingency plans for a possible Greek exit from the euro, an EU commissioner says.

Shares in internet giant Yahoo rise 5% on reports that it is close to selling its valuable stake in Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce company.

The London Stock Exchange bucks the economic turmoil to deliver a better-than-expected rise in annual profit.

EU Economic Commissioner Olli Rehn has said the eurozone is taking "all neccessary action in order to overcome" the debt crisis.

Spain, feeling fragile, looks to Germany for help

Charles Green says administrators at Rangers have told Ticketus they are terminating its contract over future ticket sales.

A notorious Belfast prison that held IRA inmates during the worst of the city's sectarian troubles is to be transformed into a whiskey distillery.

JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon will appear before a Senate committee to explain the bank's $2bn trading loss on a failed hedging strategy.

A study suggests public sector debt will be pushed up by £100bn over next two decades by higher university fees.

Glentoran's cash flow crisis is expected to be eased by a loan from the Irish Football Association.

A new report is recommending that the UK builds its own spaceport, to enable tourists to go into space.

The UK agrees a £50m trade deal to sell pork to China, the world's biggest market for pig meat, where parts such as offal and trotters are more popular.