NZ Govt says US withdrawal from Paris climate accord "really disappointing".

US President Barack Obama was attending the G7 summit in southern Germany today with a focus on violence in eastern Ukraine.

The big kids are having a party, and this year it's at Australia's place. New Zealand, as the host's little sibling, gets to come along, too. We're under strict instructions not to touch the buffet and to stay well away from the fruit punch.

Stocks in Europe and Italian fixed-income securities were pummelled on concern about the euro zone's debt crisis. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index ended the day with a 4.1 per cent drop.