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

Britain's gas supplies ran "dangerously" low in March as high demand in cold temperatures and overseas supply problems coincided.

News Corp, which will separate its highly profitable television and entertainment arm from its troubled newspaper and book publishing assets next month, set out plans for the new structure on Friday, ahead of a meeting with investors next week.

U.S. factory sector appears to be slowing slightly, according to an early reading of May activity released Thursday. The flash purchasing managers' index compiled by data provider Markit fell to 51.9 in May from a final April reading of 52.1.

Households paid off �241m more mortgage debt than they borrowed in an effort to get on top of their debts. Before May last year, net lending had never been negative since the BBA started collecting the data in 1997.