News Wire

HM Revenue & Customs is investigating hundreds of UK accountants, lawyers and professional advisors suspected of concealing assets in offshore tax havens for wealthy clients, following the largest leak of offshore data ever received by the UK tax authority.

More people are getting permanent jobs and the hiring of temporary workers has declined, according to a monthly survey of 400 recruitment companies.

European proposals that would allow Britons to switch to a bank account in another country could hasten the demise of free banking, experts have warned.

Justin King, the chief executive of J Sainsbury, has dealt a blow to the Coalition’s claims that it is building a competitive tax system by warning that cuts in corporation tax are being offset by increases in other levies.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have promised to “fire up our private sector” as the Queen announced the government’s agenda for the next year.

UN agency warns of unrest with global youth unemployment forecast to reach 12.8% by 2018 after falling since 2009

Bob Diamond said he had underestimated the strength of public opinion towards bankers that contributed to his dismissal from Barclays last year.

The European Central Bank (ECB) said it was “ready to act if needed”, should more be required to boost the eurozone’s economic health.

Bailed out bank’s chairman uses strongest language yet to talk of sale, as it reports first-quarter profits of £826m

Millions of workers are in “precarious employment” that could be jeopardised by any further deterioration in the economy, government research suggests – with the smallest businesses most likely to be “hoarding” staff they no longer need.

Providers of the government’s welfare-to-work scheme who fail to help enough people find jobs will see their business given to rivals, the employment minister says.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has written to the Scottish legal authorities urging a rapid decision on whether to prosecute former directors of Royal Bank of Scotland.

Chancellor tells Sir Mervyn King that financial policy committee must consider impact of its actions over bank capital

Apple has been flooded with orders from investors for a bond sale that is poised to be one of the biggest in corporate history.

Barclays has won the right to try to dismiss the first attempt to bring it to court over its alleged rigging of Libor interest rates.

Instant messaging on chat apps, such as WhatsApp, has overtaken the traditional SMS text message for the first time, according to research firm Informa.

Facebook’s dominance in the social media world has come under threat from newer services such as Instagram and Path

Chaotic decision making and lack of vision at the heart of the Government’s infrastructure plans are harming the economy and holding back growth, politicians and economists have warned.

Angela Merkel tried to contain her irritation when asked at a podium discussion in Berlin whether southern European countries could take much more German-ordered austerity.

Apple investors’ nerves were rattled on Wednesday as concerns about falling earnings were compounded by poor results from a supplier and more criticism in the Chinese media.

Unemployment reaches 2.56 million as another 20,000 under-25s add their names to the register

Selfridges has been criticised for placing its suppliers between “a rock and a hard place” by forcing them to pay a fee simply to have their invoices settled.

Some of Britain’s enterprise zones have yet to create a single job in a sign that a flagship government economic policy could fail to meet expectations.

£914,000 cash – attributed to ‘change of control’ at bank – paid out to directors following bailout

Loose central bank policies may threaten global financial stability when interest rates rise because lenders could become “addicted” to central bank financing and put off vital reforms, the International Monetary Fund has warned.