SSE has warned that consumers should brace themselves for further increases in energy bills, as the London-listed energy group reported a jump in full-year pre-tax profit and bolstered its dividend.

Lloyds Banking Group, the UK's largest retail bank, said it would not need to issue new shares or sell other securities to meet fresh regulatory capital requirements.

The rand gained, snapping its longest losing streak in a year, after inflation outpaced economist estimates in April, damping expectations of a central-bank interest rate cut this year.

Tax authorities from the UK, US and Australia are to join together to investigate tax evasion from some of the wealthiest people in the world after receiving huge amounts of data from a whistle-blower.

Britain's biggest building society posted a 3.4pc rise in pre-tax profits to �210m, from �203m last year. Stripping out �68m set aside for PPI mis-selling compensation and other one-off charges, profits soared 56pc to �475m, largely driven by a surge in ...