Growth ground to a halt in the euro zone's private sector this month while China's factory sector contracted for the first time in a year, surveys showed on Thursday, deepening evidence of a sharp slowdown in the global economy. The surveys were published just before European leaders meet for a crisis summit to hash out a second bailout of Greece and allay fears a debt default by Athens will poison access to the bond market for bigger states. Image is by Malene Thyssen.

Toronto’s main stock index finished higher Wednesday, led up by a sharp rise in gold-mining shares as investors sought safe havens. The price of gold surged to a record high near $1,590 an ounce as the possibility of more U.S. Federal Reserve stimulus.