Another top European bank falters...

Another major European financial institution is teetering on the brink of collapse after a banking consortium withdrew from rescue talks. 

Germany's second-largest mortgage lender, Hypo Real Estate, said a bail-out deal had fallen apart. 

Correspondents say its failure will put further strain on financial institutions in other countries. 

The news came as EU leaders at a Paris summit stopped short of offering a US-style rescue plan to banks. 

Hypo Real Estate, which has large amounts of bad debt, has suffered from the credit squeeze in international markets. 

The bank said a consortium of German financial institutions involved in a government-led rescue plan pulled out of the negotiations after refusing to come up with nearly 36bn euros ($50bn; £28bn) for a bail-out. More...

See also:

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• Huge bonuses paid to City bankers was a factor in the credit crunch...