The focus of Asian markets was on Japan after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's coalition win did little to boost Japanese shares, weighed down by a business survey.

A quarterly survey has found that more than one third of Australians rate the country's economy as "poor", up from 25% in September

US pet products retailer PetSmart is sold to a group of private investors for $8.7bn (£5.5bn), in the largest debt-funded deal of the year.

David Cameron is to turn his fire on Labour's economic plans, saying they would permanently add to the UK's debt.

A nationwide strike in Belgium has brought air, rail and road transport to a halt and forced many businesses to close.

Taxi drivers block some roads around Paris and at airports in protest at the taxi-booking service Uber.

Rival Libyan troops clash over control of two of the country's main oil terminals for a second day, leading to their closure.

A London banker who regularly travelled to work without buying a train ticket is banned from working in the financial services industry.