The struggling bus and train operator FirstGroup tapped investors for �615 million to cut debts and axed the dividend as profits slumped.

Marissa Mayer, chief executive of Yahoo, has made her first big bet to jump-start growth at the stalled web portal company with the $1.1bn purchase of New York start-up Tumblr.

In the tech/corporate world, Yahoo! just confirmed that it has agreed to pay $1.1bn for Tumblr, and promised not to "screw it up".

LONDON | Mon May 20, 2013 12:50pm BST. LONDON (Reuters) - British retailer Marks & Spencer is expected to report its lowest annual profit in four years on Tuesday as a struggling general merchandise division drags on the growth in food sales.

The independent board of Eurasian Natural Resources Corp has rejected a proposed offer by the embattled London-listed miner's billionaire founding shareholders to take it private.

In the letter to the leaders of ten crown dependencies and British overseas territories David Cameron said he backed their right to low tax jurisdictions, but insisted rules needed to be set and enforced fairly.

Helped by the warmer weather, footfall on the high-street rose 3.4pc year-on-year in April, the biggest increase since the run-up to Chrismtas in 2011.

High inflation hindering growth in UK, says report LONDON (SHARECAST) - A leading forecaster said high inflation has cost the UK economy 10bn pounds over the past three years.

Europe has demanded that all depositors be given preferential treatment over debt holders in the event of a bank collapse, in contrast to Britain's statutory position that the protection is limited only to �insured� deposits of up to �85,000.

The price of a new home in London soared by almost 7 per cent in April as first-time buyers fought to get on to the property ladder.