Nervous markets

Global Market Overview from MARKETS 12:42pm

Nikkei plunge triggers investor retreat

Japan stocks ©AFP

Bernanke comments and weak China data spook investors

Flowers are left outside the Royal Military Barracks, close to where a soldier was murdered ©Reuters From WORLD 9:38am

Probe starts into scope of London attack

Security tightened at military bases

An employee walks past a Hewlett-Packard logo during the second day of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong in this December 5, 2006 file photo. Hewlett Packard Co said on May 23, 2012 it would lay off roughly 27,000 employees or about 8 percent of its workforce to jumpstart growth, and its shares rose 11 percent. The company said the layoffs would be made mainly through early retirement and would generate annual savings of $3 billion to $3.5 billion as it exits fiscal year 2014. ©Reuters From COMPANIES 9:58pm

HP turnround plan begins to show results

Shares rise 14 per cent on better than expected earnings

GE - Jeffrey Immelt ©Getty From COMPANIES 1:23am

GE eyes consumer finance unit IPO

Immelt seeks to focus on core industrial business

logo of the International Monetary Fund PWORLD ©Getty From GLOBAL ECONOMY 7:42pm

IMF studies bond restructuring reform

Paper discussed at an executive board meeting

A Ford Motor Co. logo stands above Ford trucks on display ©Bloomberg From COMPANIES 5:34am

Ford exits Australia amid mounting losses

US carmaker blames high costs for closure of plants

New housing in Derbyshire ©PA From MARKETS 11:09pm

Rating agencies under fire again

Accusation of misjudging rebound in US housing market

International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde smiles as she arrives at the French Republic Justice Court on May 23 2013 in Paris, for a hearing to determine whether Lagarde should be charged over the Tapie case for complicity in fraud and misappropriation of public funds when she was French finance minister in 2007-2008. ©AFP From WORLD 10:44am

Judges grill Lagarde over €400m pay-off

Authorities probe IMF chief’s role in 2008 arbitration process