US

US inflation rose to a two-and-a-half year high, as rising food prices took their toll.

Barclays will pay out compensation to all customers it sold payment protection insurance (PPI) who made a complaint before 20 April.

Two UK citizens have been accused of fraud and racketeering in a US court case about a Ponzi scheme spanning three continents.

Growth in US employment slowed down significantly last month, hitting global markets and adding to fears the economic recovery is stumbling.

Moody's said last night if there is no progress in the US on increasing the country's statutory debt limit, it expects to place the government's rating under review for possible downgrade in the next few weeks.

Institutional investors in the US are increasingly using ETFs for both tactical and strategic purposes, according to the second annual Greenwich Associates study in association with iShares.

Financial advisers, fund managers and investors could be hit with huge costs after the US Senate passed laws forcing millions of people in funds holding US assets to make a declaration to the American tax authorities.

9am: The FTSE 100 is hovering around the 5,900 mark in early trading on the back of weakening metal prices sending mining stocks deep into the red.

European markets opened lower on news of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest on rape charges, amid fears his absence from eurozone talks will delay bailout plans for Portugal and Greece.

A third round of quantitative easing in the US would lead to the collapse of the dollar, M&G's Jim Leaviss has warned.