The pound staged a recovery on Tuesday as weakness in the euro and dollar helped the UK currency shrug off weak services data.

European travel and leisure firms saw around €2.6bn wiped off their stock prices today as a result of the Paris terror attacks.

Young musicians will be hoping to sail through the first auditions of their kind in Ireland today in the hope that their cruise ship comes in.

TRAVEL and how we experience that longed-for getaway, be it in the sun, snow, wilderness or a city break, changes faster than those enticing last-minute holiday package offers posted in your local travel agency shopfront.

The Port of Cork is seeking planning permission for a €1.5m deep-water pontoon and access bridges to cater for bigger cruise liners arriving in Cobh.

Global shares staged a rebound today after a speech by Russian president Vladimir Putin fuelled hopes of an easing in tensions over Ukraine.

Power giants Centrica and SSE saw UK shares tumble after Labour leader Ed Miliband’s vow to freeze household energy bills spooked markets.

The anxiously awaited attempt to pull the crippled Costa Concordia upright from its side off Italy’s Tuscan coast is under way.

Italy’s Costa Crociere, the biggest cruise operator in Europe, has accepted limited responsibility for the Costa Concordia disaster, as the employer of some of those under investigation over a shipwreck tragedy in which 32 people died.

Passengers who finally escaped the disabled Carnival cruise ship Triumph have been checking into hotels for a hot shower, fresh-cooked food and sleep, or boarding buses for home after five numbing days at sea on a powerless ship.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ boss said today he would go aboard and apologise personally to passengers for foul and dangerous conditions while the stricken liner Triumph was adrift for five nightmarish days.

Carnival Cruise Lines has cancelled a dozen more planned voyages aboard the Triumph.

Europe’s top cruise operator came under pressure at pre-trial hearings into the Costa Concordia disaster as captain Francesco Schettino faced survivors for the first time.

The former captain of the shipwrecked cruise liner Costa Concordia has arrived at a court in Italy to hear the evidence against him.

Disappointment over US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s failure to offer clear signals of imminent economy boosting measures sent the FTSE 100 Index into the red today.

World markets rallied higher today after the boss of the European Central Bank pledged to do “whatever it takes” to keep the euro together.

Markets suffered further falls today after Greece failed to patch together a coalition government, triggering another election next month.

A cruise ship with about 1,000 people on board was drifting in waters south of the Philippines today after a fire disabled its engines, the Philippine coast guard said. Five crew members were injured.

London’s leading shares index struggled to make significant progress today as fears over growth in China and the rumbling eurozone debt crisis troubled investors.

Passengers on board the cruise ship which crashed off the coast of Italy are being offered €11,000 compensation.

Fresh fears that Greece and Portugal will sink under the weight of their debts saw London's leading shares index fall further from a six-month high today.

The Costa Concordia disaster has highlighted safety issues abroad increasingly huge cruise liners.

London's leading shares index closed above the 5,700 mark for the first time in nearly three months today but global growth fears continued to spook investors.

EUROPEAN stock markets showed moderate gains yesterday, as investors seemed not to be put off by the weekend’s widespread eurozone downgrading actions of credit rating giant Standard & Poor’s.

There was no “sound and fury” on European markets today despite the loss of France’s gold-plated AAA credit rating and speculation over Greece’s future in the eurozone.

The captain of the cruise ship that capsized off Tuscany made an unauthorized divertion from the ship’s computer-programmed course, his company said today.

BRITISH stocks climbed for the fifth day in six amid speculation the US Federal Reserve may announce more stimulus measures to help drive the world’s largest economy.

Fashion house Burberry was the top faller in the FTSE 100 Index today as its stellar annual results were overshadowed by a bout of profit-taking.

The London market sunk deeper into the red today after further falls in commodity prices hit traders' confidence.

The London market continued its grim week today after worse than expected results from Lloyds Banking Group sparked losses for financial stocks.

The FTSE 100 Index closed in the red today as a raft of disappointing earnings and falls among miners dragged the market lower.

British insurance giant Aviva has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions out of Europe’s 300 biggest companies, research said today.

World markets suffered heavy declines today amid fresh fears over Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis and a lacklustre start to the US earnings season.

The FTSE 100 Index pushed away from the 6000 barrier today as miners surged following a commodities rally that saw the price of oil hit fresh highs.

Falling oil prices offered support for the FTSE 100 Index today but hefty declines among miners limited gains in the top tier.

The London market surrendered earlier gains as oil prices surged after fears that Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, could be rocked by a political uprising.

Shares pressure in the retail sector weighed on the FTSE 100 Index today as a mixed session on Wall Street also hit stocks.

Sir Stuart Rose ends a colourful six-year tenure with high street giant Marks & Spencer today as he steps down as chairman.

Sir Stuart Rose will step down as chairman of Marks & Spencer tomorrow, bringing his six-year tenure with the high street giant to a close.

A cruise ship hit by an engine fire was on the move today as Mexican tugboats began towing it towards California.

Surprising UK growth figures sent the pound soaring today, but the news failed to offset falls on the FTSE 100 Index.

The FTSE 100 Index soared past the 5600 level today as stock markets worldwide rallied ahead of Tuesday's key meeting on interest rates by the US Federal Reserve.