Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the overly stringent lending requirements of banks are hurting the US housing recovery.

Computer-maker Dell sees its quarterly profit plunge by 47% after it was hit by falling sales to both consumers and large companies.

Argentina asks the International Sea Tribunal to order Ghana to release of its three-masted navy ship, Libertad, impounded over a debt dispute.

The government should boost the UK economy by committing £1.5bn to backing major construction projects, says the CBI.

A parliamentary committee says the Treasury's sale of Northern Rock was "fortunate", and RBS and Lloyds may not be sold "for many years".

The cost of renting a home in England and Wales hit another new high in October although the pace of rent rises slowed, a survey suggests.

Japan's lawmakers pass a crucial bill that will allow the government to pay for a large chunk of its expenses, averting a potential fiscal cliff.

The US Postal Service reports an annual loss of a $15.9bn (£10bn), ending a year in which it defaulted on payments twice to avert bankruptcy.