THE United States was yesterday to push Europe to focus on encouraging economic growth rather than slashing budgets as world leaders gathered for G8 and G20 summit talks.

France will host a European summit on Saturday to discuss the international financial crisis.

Russia today warned the West against supporting Georgia’s leadership and called for an arms embargo against the nation until a different government was in place.

A TOP US diplomat said yesterday that most of the UN Security Council's permanent members and the Group of Eight support possible sanctions against Iran in the dispute over that country's nuclear programme.