BBC World Business News (Business)

Fritz Henderson, the chief executive of the giant US carmaker General Motors has resigned. The man who led the troubled company through bankruptcy and restructuring with the use of large amounts of public money stepped down in a way that has taken many by surprise.

As Dubai's largest investment company says it is going to restructure parts of the debts it wants to freeze - who will be affected if it defaults? And should there be bankruptcy concerns about Greece?

World markets have been rattled by the request from Dubai to reschedule payments on the debt of one of its state-owned companies.We'll hear how this is likely to provoke a regional lending crisis for at least a year to come.

A showpiece development in the heart of London, intended to provide 170 new luxury hotel beds, has been mothballed. We hear how here, as in so many cities around the world, the lack of bank credit means building sites have fallen silent. Plus Iraq's stockmarket plans to go electronic as it enjoys an investment boom.

The Czech prime minister has condemned US President Barack Obama's economic recovery plans as "a way to hell". And we investigate the boiling row between Ethiopian coffee producers and their government.

How will the economic slowdown affect Africa? The International Monetary Fund has predicted severe economic repercussions for the continent; yet will some areas of African life remain immune from global trends?

America's richest hedge fund managers have been called before Congress to explain their role in the financial crisis. Will a Democrat White House force through new laws to make them less secretive and pay more tax?