Greece made a small interest payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday, but European lenders dashed hopes for a cash-for- reforms deal before a more crucial, bigger instalment Athens must pay next week.

Greece has obtained “stunning evidence” to support its massive claims for Second World War reparations from Germany, the country’s defence minister said.

Sinn Féin have pledged to introduce a third higher rate of tax as well as a wealth tax if put in power, as the party defended the millions of dollars in funding it has received from US business leaders.

Russian consumers have flocked to stores, frantically buying a range of big-ticket items as they looked to pre-empt price rises following the staggering fall in the value of the rouble over recent days.

Russia’s embattled currency appeared to be regaining some of its huge losses in early trading, boosted by the finance ministry’s announcement that it is about to intervene.

Thousands of Sudanese protesters took to the streets of the capital Khartoum, chanting “freedom” and renewing calls for their autocratic president to resign.

G20 officials will disregard key parts of a currency statement issued this week by the Group of Seven powers, according to a communique drafted for finance leaders meeting in Moscow, and will not single out Japan.

George Osborne tonight warned of dire consequences if Greece leaves the eurozone without an “ambitious” plan to deal with the fallout.

Greece's parliament has today approved a new international bailout deal, which will see the crisis-hit country receive an additional €172bn in rescue loans.

China will continue to invest in eurozone government debt and it remains confident in the euro, the country’s central bank governor said yesterday, while calling on Europeans to produce more attractive investment products for China.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet has approved legislation to provide Greece with billions in aid as part of an EU bailout plan, an official said today.

Russia's Deputy Finance Minister, Sergei Storchak, one of the top officials on international financial relations, has been arrested, a Finance Ministry spokesman said tonight.

Greece’s fire department said all major blazes were “generally receding,” but authorities remained on high alert for possible rekindling of the massive fires that have killed at least 64 people before a new heat wave forecast for the weekend.

Raising taxes on beer and other favourite tipples raised hackles among EU finance ministers today as talks ended without any deal on increasing tax rates in line with inflation.

Spain’s top fashion show has turned away a number of models on the grounds they are too skinny – an unprecedented swipe at body images blamed for encouraging eating disorders among young people.

Andrew Quinn

EUROPE’s big bang of just one year ago has turned into the low hum of business as usual.

SEVERAL new lines of inquiry have opened up in the IRA money laundering investigation between Ireland and Bulgaria.

TWO more Irish citizens travelled to Bulgaria in connection with activities which are under investigation as part of an alleged IRA money laundering operation.

FURTHER details of Government troubleshooter Phil Flynn’s business interests in Bulgaria with Cork moneylender Ted Cunningham emerged last night as interest in the affair grows in Sofia.

THE US dollar fell to a record low against the euro yesterday and is set to fall further creating major problems for Irish exporters and companies with US subsidiaries.

The German government is nominating an economics professor as central bank president to succeed Ernst Welteke, who stepped down for taking a free hotel stay from a commercial bank.

THE dollar fell to a three-month low against the euro yesterday after Germany’s deputy finance minister said a stronger European currency isn’t a concern, boosting speculation policy makers will let the dollar drop in coming months.

THERE are signs France was prepared to respond to pressure from its fellow eurozone members and move towards reducing its proposed budget deficit for next year.

A parliamentary meeting between EU nations and their former colonies was on the verge of collapse today over the exclusion of two Zimbabwean government officials seeking to attend the fourday conference in Brussels.