ECONOMY

Europe's fiscal compact is slowing coming apart at the seams

The Office for National Statistics says public borrowing hit £18.2bn in March, but government on target in deficit reduction.

The improvement in Euroarea’s economic activity in early 2012 proved to be temporary, as the re-emergence of sovereign debt crisis again strongly weighed on the region’s manufacturing activity in April.

Dutch Auction surprises, Spain struggles and Italian costs spike

Shares fall as Swiss drugmaker maintains cautious outlook for 2012

SmartGrid GB includes British Telecom, General Electric, IBM and Scottish Power, Siemens and Toshiba.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte offers cabinet resignation to Queen Beatrix

Thinktank forecasts cost of living will rise at least 2.7 percent this year on back of high oil and commodity prices.

April data suggests Eurozone could be headed to recession as new leaders loom in France and Holland

Retailer keeps stable outlook but edges closer to Junk status

Net down 11.6 percent as Irish mortgage market charge hits bottom line

Spanish yields rise, shares wobble as investor tone changes

Sterling surges past five-month high as sales, volumes smash analysts' expectations, driven by fuel sales amid tanker drivers strike fears

Emerging market sales more than triple pace of developed countries

Market trumps auctions ahead of big political weekend for European leaders

Exxon Mobil tops the Forbes' list of Global 2000 companies.

France, Italy and Spain see bond yields rise despite solid morning auctions

World's third-biggest advertising firm posts firm Q1 sales, sees no near-term takeover targets

World's biggest paints maker warns of weak economy, higher input costs

Though considerable progress has been made to tackle eurozone crisis, it remains single largest threat to world economy.

Thomas Jordan vows franc defence but declines to commit to specific limit

Bad Loans hit 18-year peak in Spain, 12-year high in Italy as debate about direct bank support intensifies

A new research says a million people will be jobless for more than a year by the end of 2012, suggests a new report.

Around 53 percent of airlines are preparing to base flights in other countries than the UK due to severe capacity constraints in Britain's only hub airport, the Heathrow.

Pound surges on forex markets as key QE voice ends push for more stimulus

Unemployment rate has seen its first quarterly fall in a year, to 2.65m and a rate of 8.3 percent.

Bad weather, labour disputes hit key revenue drivers in first quarter

Food retailer to spend £1bn on British market improvements to claw back market share.

The number of people out of work in Britain has fallen for the first time since Spring last year.