ECONOMY

Japan's Nikkei bucks trend with new highs while most Asian markets edge lower on China's inflation data.

Britain's retail sector ends painful 2012 with bad start to 2013, though online shopping offers some hope.

Britain's FTSE 100 holds near May 2008 high as Tesco Christmas sales figures boost benchmark.

MPC leaves key rate unchanged and holds fire on QE printing presses in January.

Spain's first bond sale of 2013 draws strong demand as Treasury raises and extra €1.8bn in three-part auction.

Morgan Stanley plans to cut some of the highly paid jobs in the level of managing directors and executive directors.

Ex-UBS CEO Marcel Rohner and former FSA chief Sir Hector Sants face MPs' probe into Libor rigging

RICS survey indicates optimism in construction sector as workloads picked up in the final quarter of 2012.

ONS will maintain RPI, sending UK 10-year inflation-linked gilts to record low.

Rolls-Royce retains its position as market leader in the ultra- luxury segment despite tough macro-economic and industry conditions.

Increase in exports contributed by higher shipments to US, EU, Hong Kong, ASEAN and Taiwan after dipping in November.

Tesco has announced its best domestic holiday sales in three years, as Britain's biggest retailer remained the top supermarket destination over the Christmas period.

Iconic British retailer posts its six consecutive quarterly sales fall despite record £330m in Christmas food haul.

Britain's FTSE 100 tests four and a half year highs as banks and miners lift benchmark to 6,100 level.

Geek Speak: Where Are We Now? and first album in 10 years may be more to do with paying up on Bowie Bonds.

Nobel Laureate and New York Times columnist slips loudly into insult-based attack as the global economic debate gets increasingly partisan.

ONS reports UK goods exports moving from EU to rest of world.

Virgin and WPP bosses join list of ten names in FT letter urging prime minister not to risk Britain's membership of EU.

Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards panel will probe Andrea Orcel and others, on UBS' standards and risk management controls

Barrick Gold and China National Gold failed to agree on the value of a 73.9 percent stake in African Barrick Gold.

Number two UK grocery chain says customers spent £16m in one single hour of sales on 23 December

The Energy Information Administration expects modest US oil demand rise in 2013 and 2014 while imports could drop to the lowest in over two decades

Finnish phone giant could face £340m tax bill just days after Vodafone was ordered to pay $2bn by Indian authorities.

Fitch Ratings reports on huge insurance losses in wake of 'Frankenstorm' in New York.

Investors pull back after grim European data points to deeper fourth quarter recession ahead of key US earnings data from Alcoa

Completed activity booms on bumper Greece transaction but deal volume drops year-on-year, says benchmark report.

Dismissing fears of hard landing a 'mistake' and effects on markets could be dire in 2013.

Sainsbury's only major UK supermarket to add market share as discount rivals gather new customers.

All things considered, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and his Liberal Democrat Deputy Nick Clegg, have established a close working relationship over the past two-and-a-half years of Coalition Government.