Abu Dhabi gives Dubai $10bn help
Dubai announces it has been given a $10bn handout from UAE neighbour Abu Dhabi to help it pay off its debts.

Greece unveils big spending cuts
Greece's prime minister unveils a series of spending cuts, warning that the country is at risk of "sinking under its debts".

Obama tells US banks to lend more
President Barack Obama tells US bankers to increase business loans, and warns them not to thwart regulatory reform.

Turkmenistan-China gas link opens
China's President Hu Jintao visits Turkmenistan to open the final link in a new pipeline delivering gas from Central Asia.

US House backs financial reform
The US House of Representatives approves the most sweeping reforms to the financial sector since the 1930s.

US retail sales increase further
US retail sales in November again rose by more than expected, up 1.3% from the previous month, according to official figures.

Osborne 'not against bonus tax'
Shadow chancellor George Osborne says he does not oppose a one-off government tax on bankers' bonuses.

Ukraine wants $2bn loan from IMF
Ukraine makes an urgent appeal to the International Monetary Fund, calling for about $2bn in emergency loans.

Greece says no chance of default
Greece's Prime Minister insists his country is "not about to default" as Greek bonds have their worst week in 11 years.

EU calls for tax on bank trades
EU leaders urge the International Monetary Fund to consider implementing a global tax on financial transactions.

China recovery gathers strength
China shows further signs of economic recovery with industrial output surging and its export slump easing.

EU makes 7bn euro climate pledge
EU leaders agree to pay 7.2bn euros over three years to a global warming fund, in a deal they hope may boost world efforts.

Brown denies over-ruling Darling
Gordon Brown says it is "completely wrong" to suggest he over-ruled Chancellor Alistair Darling on spending cuts.

Men guilty of share-selling fraud
Two men who were involved in a £1m "boiler room" share-selling scam are found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud.

UK factory input prices increase
The cost of materials and fuels bought by UK factories rose at their fastest annual pace in a year in November.

Public sector cuts 'total £36bn'
Alistair Darling has not revealed the full extent of spending cuts needed to balance Britain's books, experts warn.

Greece's debt hits 300bn euros
Greece's debt has reached the highest level in its modern history, the country's deputy finance minister says.

Surprise as US trade gap shrinks
The US trade deficit narrowed in October as exports rose to their highest level in almost a year, figures show.

Oil price drops to two-month low
The price of oil dips below $70 a barrel, falling to a two-month low, amid continuing concerns over demand.

Household wealth hits £9 trillion
Household wealth reached £9 trillion in the UK between 2006 and 2008, says the Office for National Statistics.

UK interest rate remains at 0.5%
The Bank of England holds UK interest rates at 0.5% and makes no changes to the quantitative easing programme.

Australia's jobless rate declines
Australia's unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in November, as the country's economic recovery continued.

Japanese machinery orders fall
Japanese machinery orders fell by more than expected in October, as companies tightened their purse strings.

Soros unveils $150bn climate plan
Billionaire investor George Soros unveils a plan to give poor nations $150bn to switch to low carbon technologies.

UK and France 'agree on banking'
The UK and France are working together on curbing bank bonuses, Gordon Brown says, after holding private talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Rise in UK air passenger numbers
UK air passenger numbers see their first monthly increase since March 2008, according to airport operator BAA.

Bankers 'whacked' in arcade game
Customers playing a new game hitting bald pop-up bankers at an arcade in Suffolk are wearing out the mallets.

Biofuels in Africa
Farmers in Tanzania weigh the use of jatropha oil

Darling and you
What pre-Budget report means for your finances

'Already too late'
Fear and tension in Greece as economic clouds gather

Head to head
How do the main parties plan to heal the economy?

Budget DIY
Irish Republic faces an uphill battle to balance its books