China, the biggest buyer of Iran's oil, has publicly rejected U.S. sanctions aimed at Tehran's energy industry while American allies Japan and South Korea are scrambling to find a compromise to keep critical supplies flowing.

Beijing is buying less Iranian crude this month, but analysts say China is unlikely to support an oil embargo. Instead, they say, the smaller purchases might be a tactic aimed at obtaining lower prices as the West squeezes Tehran.

U.S. President Barack Obama promised Saturday to do "whatever it takes" to maintain growth in the U.S. economy as he announced a summit with business leaders dedicated to job creation at home.

"This year, I'm going to keep doing whatever it takes to move this economy forward and to make sure that middle class families regain the security they've lost over the past decade," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

Airbus and Hong Kong Airlines have struck a deal worth about $3.8 billion at list prices to buy 10 superjumbo A380 jets, reports said.

The European aircraft manufacturer plans to deliver the first A380 to the Chinese airline in 2015, Bloomberg said, citing Kenneth Thong, head of corporate governance and international affairs at the carrier.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde praised South Africa's "impressive" economic performance Saturday, but again warned that the European debt crisis posed a risk to Africa's largest economy.

"South Africa's recent economic performance has been impressive. Good macroeconomic policies which, together with a flexible exchange rate and sound financial sector, have mitigated the output drop during the global recession," she said in a statement.

China, the biggest buyer of Iran's oil, has publicly rejected U.S. sanctions aimed at Tehran's energy industry while American allies Japan and South Korea are scrambling to find a compromise to keep critical supplies flowing.

Beijing is buying less Iranian crude this month but analysts say China is unlikely to support an oil embargo. Instead, they say, the smaller purchases might be a tactic aimed at obtaining lower prices as the West squeezes Tehran.

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has recalled 169,000 baby high chairs sold in the United States and Canada over reports that the safety belts can open unexpectedly.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada announced the recall on Thursday and IKEA posted a warning on its website over the ANTILOP high chair, sold from August 2006 through January 2010 for around $20.

Asian markets fell Friday and the euro continued its struggles as fresh concerns over Spain and Italy rattled investors despite another strong batch of jobs data from the United States.

Regional dealers followed European losses caused by a warning from Madrid that its banks may hold more bad loans than thought, while a French bond auction saw weak demand and Italy's leader paid an unplanned visit to Brussels.

The euro is unlikely to "vanish" this year, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said Friday, but warned a report this month will show the global economy growing slower than the 4.0 percent estimated in September.

"Will 2012 be the end of the euro? My answer is, I don't think so," she told a press conference during a visit to South Africa. "The currency itself is not likely to vanish or disappear in 2012."

Swiss central bank chief Philipp Hildebrand on Thursday defended himself against criticism of foreign currency transactions made by his family last year and suggested "political motives" were at work.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the scandal, Hildebrand told media in Zurich that he had complied with all the regulations of the central bank.

Italy's top bank UniCredit has warned investors that if the eurozone crisis worsens the euro may be abandoned, though bank head Federico Ghizzoni Thursday said the scenario remained unrealistic.

In a prospectus released after UniCredit announced it was selling shares to meet new capital requirements, the bank flagged up a series of risk factors.