Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester will not take his near £1m bonus, the BBC has learned.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announces the introduction of a tax on financial transactions, as the presidential election looms.

The dispute between Iran and Western economies escalates after Tehran says it will stop oil sales to some countries.

Business leaders veer between optimism and great uncertainty at the 2012 meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The Italian firm that owns the stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia reaches an agreement on compensation with several Italian consumer groups.

Payday lenders and other providers of short-term credit will face much tougher regulation when a new watchdog starts work.

Ryanair reports a net profit of 14.9m euros ($19.6m; £12.5m) in the last three months of 2011, thanks to higher fares and better weather conditions.

The eurozone crisis is set to dominate an EU summit in Brussels, as leaders place the emphasis on growth and "smart" budget discipline.