Economics / Markets

Oil prices have jumped to a two-and-a-half-year high on fresh fears about supply and a weaker dollar.

IFAonline rounds up what the newspapers are saying…

The FTSE 100 opened higher this morning after a sharp fall yesterday on news Japan had been hit by a second earthquake.

Jean Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, has defended yesterday's 25 basis point hike in interest rates as good for the eurozone, as EU leaders prepare for talks on the bailout of Portugal.

The Bank of England today held interest rates at 0.5% as fears over a sluggish economic recovery outweighed inflation concerns.

Moody's says it could cut its ratings of 19 UK banks to reflect the lower chance of a future government bail-out.

The Japanese economy is "under strong downward pressure" in the wake of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) says.

IFAonline rounds up what the newspapers are saying…

The Bank of England is likely to maintain its current monetary stance and keep interest rates at their historic low today after a new report suggested the UK's economic recovery remains sluggish.

Portugal has become the third nation to ask the European Union for financial assistance.