Economics / Markets

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), headed by Christine Lagarde, has urged the UK to consider introducing more quantitative easing and cut interest rates.

Inflation in the UK dropped in April, beatings the consensus forecast.

The Court of the Bank of England has commissioned three reviews into the Bank of England's (BoE's) provision of liquidity to the banking system during the financial crisis and its forecasting abilities.

Barclays has put its $6.1bn stake in US fund manager BlackRock up for sale in a surprise move.

FIVE THINGS

European equity markets have extended this week's losses at the open on Friday, after US stocks closed lower overnight, dragged down by the ongoing Greek crisis.

The head of Britain's biggest employers' organisation has intensified the war of words between business and the government after saying it is time for ministers to deliver on their growth-friendly promises.

David Cameron will urge eurozone leaders to "make up or break up" today as he fears the euro unraveling will further dent the British economy.

Sterling has fallen against the dollar today after a dovish quarterly inflation report from the Bank of England cut growth forecasts and left the door open to further QE.

The UK's unemployment rate showed a surprise fall from 8.3% to 8.2% in the first quarter, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.