UK Chancellor George Osborne is to formally nominate Christine Lagarde for the post of managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

South Africa and Australia say the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund should be appointed on merit and not nationality.

A local flight ban is in force after the eruption of Iceland's most active volcano, Grimsvotn, sends a plume of smoke 20km into the sky.

The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea agree to set up an early warning system to alert each other of any nuclear emergencies.