The HIBOR continued to edge up after the US bail-out package was announced.

ECONOMIST: Wall Street's financial troubles hit Hong Kong

The budget needs to be passed in order for funds to be released from the EU-IMF bail-out package for Ireland.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

Beyond that, the outlook is cloudy, especially since euro-zone leaders are talking about rejigging Greece's second bail-out package, agreed last July.

ECONOMIST: How much more can Greeks take?

Last week was one big build-up to a supposedly massive new bail-out package that would span bank recapitalization, sovereign debt purchases and other measures.

FORBES: Europe's Message Control Mess

Those arguments may have weighed heavily with both Barack Obama, the president-elect, and the Democrats in Congress, who are moving towards sanctioning a bail-out package.

ECONOMIST: American carmakers

Until a deal on private-sector losses is finalised and implemented, investors cannot rely on a second bail-out package that will keep Greece in the euro.

ECONOMIST: Greece and the euro

Ordinary Kuwaitis are wary not only of further dithering over such things as a planned bail-out package for financial institutions hit by the global recession and an oft-delayed mega-project to develop new oilfields.

ECONOMIST: Kuwait's mould-breaking election

If the German parliament approves the second Greek rescue package, if the euro zone's bail-out fund is beefed up, if tougher fiscal monitoring is endorsed by the European Parliament, maybe the line can hold.

ECONOMIST: With the euro under siege, is this the time for more Europe?

Many Germans were horrified to discover that the EU rescue package for Greece last year helped to bail out public-sector workers who could retire in their mid-50s on almost full pay.

ECONOMIST: The biggest barrier to public- sector reform are the unions

In November 2010, Ireland and the EU agreed a financial rescue package worth 85bn euros, ending weeks of speculation about a bail-out.

BBC: Ireland profile