A fishing boat reaches an Italian cruise ship adrift with more than 1,000 people on board in the Indian Ocean, but tug boats are many hours away.

Britain's service sector has weakened in recent months, according to the CBI - but its latest report suggests the situation might be stabilising.

A court in Peru charges a leader of the remnants of the Maoist Shining Path rebel group with terrorism and drug trafficking.

Police are investigating a "network of corrupt officials" as part of their inquiries into phone hacking and police corruption, the Leveson Inquiry hears.

People who choose not to eat animal products may be unaware that common medicines could contain them, a study suggests.

Commonly prescribed sleeping pills appear to be linked with an increased risk of death among users, researchers have found.

Barclays Bank is ordered by the Treasury to pay half-a-billion pounds in tax it tried to avoid, as retrospective legislation is introduced.

Japan retail sales rise more-than-expected in January driven up by a surge in car purchases as government subsidies boost demand.