AFP - Lithuania's general election Sunday comes as storm clouds gather over the EU "tiger" economy, with a long-running boom tailing off and grinding inflation hurting voters.

European stocks plunged, tracking a global stock market rout, amid heightened anxiety about the global economy and a distressed financial sector.

Finland's ex-president Martti Ahtisaari received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to build a lasting peace in places as diverse as East Timor and the Balkans in Europe.

One of Russia's biggest steelmakers has outlined plans to drastically cut production this month in the latest sign of the sharp downturn hitting the world steel industry

Reuters - European stocks tumbled at the open on Friday, tracking plunges in Asian and U.S. equities as investors feared world governments' attempts to unlock credit markets would not be enough to ward off a global recession.

Germany is working on a plan to prop up its major banks that could include taking government stakes and measures to guarantee banks' access to liquidity.

A credit-card fraud ring funneled account data to Pakistan from hundreds of grocery-store card machines across Europe.

AFP - The FTSE 100 index of leading shares plunged by almost nine percent on Friday after fresh falls on wall street, as investors continued to fret over the worldwide financial crisis.

The top share index slid 8.2 percent by midday on Friday in a global sell-off in equities as investors feared government efforts to unclog liquidity strains would not avert a global recession.

International investors counted the cost of their involvement with Iceland on Friday after a meltdown in its banking system turned the country from a popular financial player to a pauper in just a few days.