Economics / Markets

S&P said it could lower the UK's rating "if fiscal performance weakens beyond our current expectations".

Barclays could slash as many as 2,000 jobs from its investment banking arm as part of a broad restructuring of the company.

The US Federal Reserve has expanded the scope of its quantitative easing programme and suggested interest rates will not rise until US unemployment falls below 6.5%.

A Brewin Dolphin broker sparked a brawl after discovering a colleague was having an affair with his fiancé, a court has heard.

Incoming Bank of England governor Mark Carney has suggested struggling economies dump inflation-targeting in order to kick-start growth.

A transatlantic banking watchdog would protect American and British taxpayers from bailing out banks which are too big to fail, under new plans.

HSBC and Standard Chartered have agreed record settlements over money laundering allegations as the former agrees to pay $1.9bn to US regulators.

FIVE THINGS

The UK is not heading towards a triple dip recession, the Treasury chief secretary has said.

Firms and individuals are to be encouraged to self-report on instances of market abuse, a senior Financial Services Authority (FSA) figure has said.