Turkish currency crisis

• The Turkish lira decreased 16 percent to 6.6 per dollar, the weakest on record with the largest tumble in more than 17 years.

G-20 pledges to stand behind Europe

Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of 20 major economies said Thursday that they would work in a coordinated fashion to put an end to the latest financial crisis engulfing Europe. G-20 officials had not planned to put out a statement but changed their minds after stock markets around the world sold off Thursday on concerns surrounding euro-zone sovereign debt and the health of the region’s banks.

Beware a manufacturing slowdown

High input prices, supply chain disruptions from the tsunami disaster in Japan and slowing demand from China have combined to brake manufacturing momentum in Europe, the United States and Asia in recent months following a steady run of robust growth.

Just how sharp the slowdown is will become clearer this week with the release of data from factory purchasing managers in major economies across the globe.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Resigns From I.M.F.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned Wednesday as head of the International Monetary Fund after explosive allegations that he had sexually attacked a cleaning lady in a midtown Manhattan hotel room.

His resignation comes just days after he was taken off an Air France plane at Kennedy International Airport and arrested in connection with the alleged attack.

Mr. Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister, had been expected to declare his candidacy for the French presidency soon. He was seen as the figure most likely to oust President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In issuing his resignation Wednesday, Mr. Strauss-Kahn said,"I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all all of the allegations that have been made against me."

US:Payrolls climb to 216,000, jobless rate 8.8%

Nonfarm payrolls grew by a seasonally adjusted 216,000 in March, their fastest pace since last May. Financial markets took the report as a positive sign for the outlook.

British stocks rise as retail sector advances

Retailers Kingfisher PLC and Next PLC led the U.K. market higher Thursday, after both companies reported rising profits and lifted their dividends.

U.S. stocks up on earnings and recovery

U.S. stocks on Thursday rose sharply for a second straight day as Wall Street took an optimistic view on corporate profits and the nation’s economic recovery. Economic reports yielded mixed results, with jobless claims falling last week and orders for durable goods dropping 0.9% in February.

US:New home sales slowest in at least a half-century

Home construction in the United States is all but coming to a halt. Americans are on track to buy fewer new homes than in any year since the government began keeping data almost a half-century ago. Sales are now just half the pace of 1963 -- even though there are 120 million more people in the United States now. Banks are imposing tougher standards for loans and requiring bigger down payments. And many people are nervous about entering the market, fearful that home prices have yet to reach the bottom.

Portugal's PM quits

Debt-stressed Portugal's prime minister says he has quit after opposition parties scuppered his proposals devised to avoid a bailout. This could re-ignite market anxiety about the financial soundness of the wider eurozone.

Egypt stocks slump 10% as market reopens

Egyptian stocks tumbled nearly 10% Wednesday as the market reopened for the first time since late January

U.N. okays military action on Libya

The U.N. Security Council, meeting in emergency session, passed a resolution endorsing a no-fly zone to halt government troops now around 100 km (60 miles) from Benghazi. It also authorized "all necessary measures" -- code for military action -- to protect civilians against Gaddafi's forces.

US & EUROPE fall 1 percent on Japan fears

Stocks fell about 1 percent on Wednesday as concerns about Japan's nuclear crisis escalated. The European Union's energy commissioner on Wednesday warned that "possible catastrophic events" in Japan could be seen in the next few hours

European stocks climb after Japan rebounds

European stock markets moved modestly higher Wednesday, recovering some of the previous session's heavy losses after a rebound for Japanese shares

Moody's cuts Portuguese debt rating by two notches

Moody's Investors Service said Tuesday it downgraded Portugal's long-term government bond ratings by two levels to A3 from A1, with a negative outlook.

Wall Street tumbles 2 percent

U.S. stocks tumbled more than 2 percent at the open on Tuesday, tracking global equities sharply lower as Japan's looming nuclear crisis looked set to thrust financial markets into a period of turmoil.

Europe stocks slump after Tokyo plunge

European stock markets tumbled on Tuesday as panic selling swept across Tokyo after another explosion at a troubled nuclear plant and comments from Japanese PM about radiation leaks.

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a sharply lower open as well, with futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average off by 163 points

Japan disaster costs seen at least $180 billion

Japan faces a recovery and reconstruction bill of at least $180 billion, or 3 percent of its annual economic output, or more than 50 percent higher than the total cost of 1995's earthquake in Kobe.

Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the huge financing needs Japan faces may erode investor confidence in the country's ability to repay its debts, forcing up borrowing costs.

Tokyo radiation levels 23 times normal: officials

Radiation levels in Tokyo surged to 23 times normal on Tuesday, according to reports that cited readings released by the Tokyo metropolitan government. Radiation levels of .809 micro severts were recorded in central Tokyo at 10.00 a.m. local time (9.00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time), reports said. Southerly winds are believed to be pushing a radioactive plume from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which lies about 150 miles north of Tokyo.

Japanese shares plunge after quake

Japan’s Nikkei dropped 6.3% to hit 9,605.17 in the afternoon session, while the broader Topix fell 7.6% to 845.91.

Explosion shakes Japan nuclear plant

An explosion Saturday shook a Japanese nuclear plant damaged by the previous day’s massive earthquake. The blast raised fears of a meltdown at the power facility. A nuclear meltdown occurs when a reactor’s cooling system fails, allowing the nuclear fuel to overheat and melt. If the container is damaged, the melting fuel could release radioactive substances into the air.