The International Monetary Fund (IMF) holds its spring meeting in Washington, DC, on Saturday amid what officials describe as the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Depression and as the global economy weakens. The 185-member IMF warned on Wednesday that the economic outlook was increasingly grim.

Struggling US internet firm Yahoo! will slash some 2 000 jobs in a sweeping restructuring aimed at building a "nimbler, more profitable" company.

Conflict and violence are holding back global economic growth and trapping 1,5-billion people in dire poverty, the World Bank said on Sunday.

The Airbus A380, the biggest airliner built to date, completed a momentous maiden flight on Wednesday, winning praise from one of the pilots as a "magnificent machine" and opening a new era in aviation history. "We had a very successful first flight and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it," said Claude Lelaie, one of the two pilots and the head of the Airbus flight division.

Struggling US internet firm Yahoo! will slash some 2 000 jobs in a sweeping restructuring aimed at building a "nimbler, more profitable" company.

The World Bank says Africa is losing out on billions of dollars in potential earnings every year because of high trade barriers on the continent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) holds its spring meeting in Washington, DC, on Saturday amid what officials describe as the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Depression and as the global economy weakens. The 185-member IMF warned on Wednesday that the economic outlook was increasingly grim.

Conflict and violence are holding back global economic growth and trapping 1,5-billion people in dire poverty, the World Bank said on Sunday.