S&P has downgraded Belgium's credit rating by one notch, to AA from AA+, expressing concerns about funding and market pressures.

Italy has been forced to pay record interest rates in a 10bn euro ($13bn; £9bn) auction of treasury bills.

This year's Thanksgiving will have provided a welcome time out for politicians and markets across the Pond. It is also a time to reflect on the state of the nation as everything closes down for the day and people retreat to spend time with their families....

UK banks are coming under renewed regulatory pressure to curb dividend and bonus payments to prepare for a disastrous euro break-up.

INVESTMENT TRUSTS

Jim O'Neill, the head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, has predicted China could overtake the US as the world's largest economy by 2027 and urged a rethink of the G7 away from domination by the West.

Phoenix Group, the parent of Ignis Asset Management, is considering a takeover offer, believed to be around £1bn, from private equity firm CVC Capital Partners after a bid from rival Resolution fell through.

Talks in Washington aimed at cutting the level of US government debt are on the verge of failure, the BBC understands.

Fidelity China Special Situations manager Anthony Bolton said the next 12 months should be a defining period for the country. In his view, investors will start to realise China is "not a house of cards that is going to collapse" and they will hopefully...

Santander's offer to buy back junior debt from bondholders has drawn criticism from analysts who accused the Spanish bank of trying to lock in a profit at the expense of investors.