French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that there is "still a lot of work to do" if Greece and its creditors are to reach an agreement to avert a possible default.
Work to build an open-air pool on the River Thames in central London could start this year as more Britons dip their toes into the waters of outdoor swimming.
The IMF said that it would take part in a meeting between Ukraine and its private bondholders next week, amid rising pressure on creditors to reduce the debt.
The board of British chocolate maker Thorntons said it had agreed a takeover deal by Italian rival Ferrero that values the firm at about £111.9 million.
EU foreign ministers formally agreed to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords.
An 87-year-old Hungarian woman aims this weekend to set a world record by beating 1920s Cuban chess grandmaster Jose Raul Capablanca at his own game: simultaneous play.
His ratings are still in the doldrums and the economy is still stagnant, yet French President Francois Hollande looks ever more determined to run for re-election two years from now.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country was open to the world and would cooperate with the West despite persistent tensions over the Ukraine crisis.
Moscow warned that state-linked foreign firms in Russia could be targeted for retaliation to the freezing of Russian official assets in Western Europe over legal claims from former Yukos shareholders.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker voiced frustration with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a media report amid the deepening debt crisis.