The ECB said euro-zone countries should be ready to implement more measures to reduce their debt burden should the economy grow less than expected.

Hopes of an export-led recovery are dealt a blow by news of a record high goods trade deficit, while the total trade gap also widens more than forecast, pressuring the pound

Rising imports have widened the UK deficit to a new record, dashing hopes that a pick-up in exports might help the economy avoid a renewed slowdown

The Korea National Oil Corp rules out an increased bid for Dana Petroleum, even though the Aberdeen firm says it is worth more.

Austria's gambling laws are under the scrutiny of the European Courts.

Morrisons has announced half-yearly profit before tax of £410m, against profit of £359m a year before, an increase of 14%.

Defence company BAE is to cut 1,000 jobs at five sites across England in a move that angers unions.

Central bank governors and senior regulators are to impose tighter restrictions on the level of assets banks must hold, the BBC has learnt.

Directors of big companies enjoy hugely generous pensions while cutting workers' pension entitlements, the TUC alleges.

Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos and Homebase, says it expects half-year profits to be 25% lower because of falling sales.

The UK's goods trade deficit widened to a record high in July after imports rose sharply and exports fell from the previous month.

As President Obama pushes a new campaign to juice up the economy, he's starting to fill in the details of how he would pay the estimated $180 billion tab. His plan: Eliminate some corporate tax breaks and subsidies, and close loopholes.

It wasn't much of a honeymoon. Less than a year after Wal-Mart's new chief executive, Mike Duke, took control of the world's biggest company, he was faced with a not-so-little problem. Shortly before he became CEO in early 2009, Wal-Mart had announced, with great fanfare, Project Impact -- a plan to freshen up the stores and make them a better p

It wasn't much of a honeymoon. Less than a year after Wal-Mart's new chief executive, Mike Duke, took control of the world's biggest company, he was faced with a not-so-little problem. Shortly before he became CEO in early 2009, Wal-Mart had announced, with great fanfare, Project Impact -- a plan to freshen up the stores and make them a better p

When Jenny Frank decided to become a teacher, she thought she was going into a profession that could weather any recession.

Unsecured creditors of Lehman Brothers may have choked last week when Harvey Miller, the lead attorney on the bank's bankruptcy, told Congress that the final bill to unwind its sprawling claims would likely hit $2 billion and take two more years to settle. He also said some of those creditors might only collect twenty cents on the dollar for appro

China shares fall on renewed fears of property curbs ahead of monthly economic data China - Asia - Business and Economy - Maps and Views - Government

Goldman Sachs fined $27 million in UK for failing to notify about US investigation Goldman Sachs - Business - Financial Services Authority - US Securities and Exchange Commission - Security

US falls to 4th place in competitivness ranking behind Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore Singapore - Switzerland - Asia - Government - Embassies and Consulates

The music and book retailer admits its much heralded move into live music has not lived up to expectations

UK housebuilder bounced back to profit for the year as an overhaul of the housebuilder by returning chairman Steve Morgan started to show signs of paying off

LONDON (Reuters) - Home Retail, the No. 1 household goods retailer, lowered guidance for full-year profit, with sales and margins at its Argos stores still falling as cash-strapped low-income shoppers trim their spending.

LONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group has agreed to sell its stake in housebuilder Crest Nicholson, as the bailed-out British bank sheds non-core assets to refocus on its core lending activities.

PARIS (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.25 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.45 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.2 percent at 5.16 EDT.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's financial watchdog slapped a 17.5 million pounds ($27 million) fine on Goldman Sachs on Thursday for inadequate disclosure of a U.S. probe into the Wall Street powerhouse.

LONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group has agreed to sell its stake in housebuilder Crest Nicholson, as the bailed-out bank sheds non-core assets to refocus on its core lending activities.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator blocked National Australia Bank's $12 billion bid for AXA Asia Pacific for a second time, dashing NAB's efforts to cement its dominance in the world's fourth-largest wealth management market.

Business editor Robert Peston reports on the £20m fine for Goldman Sachs.

The United States has been overtaken by Sweden and Singapore in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness survey.

President Barack Obama has urged the US congress to approve massive business tax breaks to boost the faltering US economy.

Serving tax officer: "HMRC has not been fit for purpose for a very long time. It's now at melting point"

What impact are the spending cuts having in North Yorkshire?

Wall Street banking giant Goldman Sachs is fined £17.5m by the UK's financial watchdog.

Music, computer games and book retailer HMV says that its sales were disrupted this summer by the football World Cup.

Food inflation in India rose for the second consecutive week, damping hopes of any immediate respite from high prices despite normal monsoon rains and increasing chances of more monetary tightening by the central bank next week.

The U.K.'s trade deficit rose sharply to the widest level on record as demand for chemicals and oil lifted imports while exports rose only marginally.

HMV, the music, books and games retailer, reported a sharp drop in first-quarter sales, blaming the football World Cup for distracting customers.

Investment bank handed fine for failing to tell the UK regulator that it was under investigation for fraud in the US.

The supermarket plans to open convenience stores and may sell groceries online as it anticipates more pressure on shoppers' income.

HRG, owner of Agros and Homebase, warned first-half profits will be up to 25pc lower as wary shoppers cut back on spending.

Australia's banks could be at risk to many of the factors that caused the near collapse of financial systems in many Western countries.

Andrea Nannini, manager of HSBC's Middle East and North Africa Fund, tells Robert Miller about the renewed interest in the Middle East as an investment market and how returns are sustainable.

'Too Big To Fail' banks will be subject to harsher capital requirements than their less systemically important peers under the new rules on capital ratios set to be agreed this weekend.

South Korea’s national oil company rejects last-ditch appeal from Dana Petroleum to raise its £1.87bn hostile bid for the London-listed oil and gas group and says its £18-a-share offer is final

Blow to Goldman’s efforts to put the high-profile fraud case behind it following the bank’s settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission probe in July for $550m

Britain’s fourth-biggest grocer is following the lead of rival chains by trialling convenience stores and a move into internet retailing as its new chief executive reports a 14% rise in underlying profit

ANA setting up low-cost carrier, a first for Japanese airline, amid growing global competition Low-cost carrier - Japan - Airline - Asia - Japan Airlines

Korea National Oil Corp. rules out higher bid for UK's Dana Petroleum Dana Petroleum - Business - Energy - Oil and Gas - South Korea

The region’s indices make progress for the first time in three sessions, with the pressure Japanese exporters eased by waning haven demand for the yen

The FTSE 100 continued to drift lower with retail stocks unsettled by news of falling profits and a forecast of further low margin growth in the sector from two of its constituents