Oh, how they laughed. Explaining George Osborne’s absence from Treasury Questions, Chief Secretary Danny Alexander was on side-splitting form. “My right honourable friend the Chancellor is in Brussels today at the Ecofin council,” he told MPs, “exercising the considerable influence that Britain enjoys as a full member of the European Union.” Boom, boom!

The Chancellor also pledged UK action on tax evasion and avoidance

The current plight of the Mediterranean island could be eased if it can build bridges with its former enemy to exploit nearby gas fields

The scare stories have it wrong; Facebook is a force for openness and accountability in the world, argues Eduard Mead.

The International Monetary Fund has urged Europe to ease on its programme of austerity and give the likes of Spain and Greece more time to sort out their debts.

Egypt's leaders were under increasing strain last night as a fuel shortage heaped pressure on the battered economy and officials met with world finance chiefs to discuss a multi-billion dollar development loan.

The International Monetary Fund yesterday handed the UK a bigger growth forecast downgrade than any other advanced nation and warned the global economy remains in a "precarious" state.

Lender sees just 0.2 per cent UK growth in 2012 and urges action from eurozone

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to reduce its outlook for the global economy today, amid continuing financial woes in Europe, the stagnant US economy and slowing growth in China.

The worsening impact of Europe's debt crisis on global growth was laid bare yesterday as a fresh slowdown put China on course for its worst year for more than a decade.

The size of the International Monetary Fund's emergency fund to rescue bankrupt economies will rise to $456bn, thanks to a $43bn pledge from China at the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, this week.

The size of the International Monetary emergency fund to rescue bankrupt economies will rise to $456bn, thanks to a $43bn pledge from China at the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, this week.

Arnaud Lagardère – must be related to Christine, of the International Monetary Fund, right?

The bloc's big noises are trying to persuade German Chancellor Angela Merkel to support the latest patch-up measure. But she is determined to resist