The Co-operative Bank has closed its doors to new corporate customers as it tries to repair its balance sheet after its bonds were downgraded to �junk� status.

The BBC has scrapped a �98m digital production system, which its director general said had "wasted a huge amount of licence fee payers' money".

Fri May 24, 2013 7:05am EDT. For other related diaries, please see; DIARY - U.S. Federal Reserve DIARY - Polling Unit Diary DIARY - Key World Financial Events DIARY - Political and General news DIARY - Index of all Diaries DIARY - G7 Economic ...

Fears over the UK's continuing energy security were fuelled today after a report claimed Britain came dangerously close in March to its gas supply running out and its lights being switched off.

Uncertainty over whether yesterday's crash creates a buying opportunity or is a prelude to further falls sees the FTSE 100 shed 0.5%.

Commodities fell for a third day, paced by declines in copper and oil, as manufacturing in China unexpectedly shrank for the first time in seven months and the head of the Federal Reserve hinted that stimulus may be tapered.

The British Bankers' Association (BBA) said approvals rose 0.9pc on an annual basis in April to 32,153, the highest seen since January.

FRANKFURT | Fri May 24, 2013 6:19am EDT. FRANKFURT May 24 (Reuters) - Banks will return early 8.123 billion euros ($10.48 billion) of crisis loans to the European Central Bank next week after the ECB cut its main interest rate to a fresh record low of 0.5 ...

The US Senate's probe of Apple's tax affairs this week injected renewed urgency into the global effort to crack down on aggressive tax avoidance, which will feature high on the agenda of the G8 summit meeting in Northern Ireland next month.

British private equity investor 3i Group has made an offer to buy Barclays' European infrastructure fund management unit, as it seeks to boost assets under management.