BBC World Service

Forbes has released its 2011 list of world billionaires. Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim tops the list for the second year in a row, but for the first time, the Asia-Pacific region had more billionaires than Europe.

Muhammad Yunus won a Nobel Peace Prize for getting microfinance off the ground and into the mainstream. But after Yunus was fired due to Bangladesh's mandatory retirement age, many question the future of micro-credit loans.

Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gdagbo has effectively nationalized the country's cocoa farms -- something chocolate lovers should be worried about.

Spanish drivers are slowing down today to comply with a new speed limit. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports the government hopes to reduce Spain's gas bill.

The National Basketball Association wants to create a new team in Europe. This weekend's games will show off the league's global reach.

The United Nations is reporting a 2.2 percent increase in its Food Price Index for February. This is the highest level recorded since the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) began monitoring prices in 1990.

While the Libyan economy continues to function at a very basic level, many nations have withdrawn their citizens from the troubled country. And Libya's oil chief says oil production is at half the level it was a few weeks ago.

The daily deal site Groupon has been interested in expanding into China for months. And finally, Groupon has opened its Chinese affiliate, Gaopeng.com. The site will initially cover Beijing and Shanghai but the company hopes to grow to cover more of China's 160 cities.

Just months after a $100 billion bailout from European governments, Ireland holds elections for a new government today. But voters aren't happy about the bailout or the economy.

Many people from across the Middle East and around the world found work in Libya's oil industry and other sectors. But as the violence there escalates, countries are scrambling to evacuate their citizens.