David Cameron wants us to give more to charity – an admirable goal most of us would endorse. Last week he talked of "nudging" the public into giving more by pressing a donation key at cash machines, or by "rounding up" the total when we pay a bill. Critics say that Dave's Big Society is doomed, but I'm not so cynical.

The pay of the country's top earners is set to "spiral" to levels not seen for decades, with the public having no confidence that the Government or business can do anything to tackle excessive pay, a report said today.

A new investigation shows pay inequality is accelerating in Britain, with top bosses set to earn 215 times the average wage by 2020. It also demolishes the arguments they put forward to support their astonishing incomes

Civil servants have been ordered to reconsider disclosing thousands of documents relating to a fund run by former MP George Galloway during Saddam Hussein's regime.

Outlook It took the jury three weeks, but in the end, the Feds got their man. And in securing a guilty verdict on each count levelled against the hedge fund boss Raj Rajaratnam, the US District Attorney Preet Bharara has sent a powerful message to Wall Street. Despite their protests that the line has become blurred, financiers should be perfectly capable of distinguishing between investment research (legal) and privileged information (illegal). Those who cross the line should expect to find investigators emboldened by this verdict.

Outlook: Much of the criticism that Sir John Vickers' report faced yesterday concerned his failure to do something he was never asked to do – prevent bank failures

Prison terms increasingly given for maintenance debts, but critics say policy is counterproductive

The national minimum wage is to increase by 15p to £6.08 per hour from October. The below inflation rise of 2.5 per cent, which matches the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission, was criticised as "modest" by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

A homosexual couple who successfully sued the Christian owners of a hotel who refused them a bed are withdrawing a claim for more compensation, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said today.

In other walks of life, people take pride in their work because of what they do, not because of what they are paid

Andy Mangan, who served FA ban, says envy of Premier League lifestyle drives corrupt practices in lower divisions

Barclays announced this week that it is to stop offering customers financial advice in branches. That's bad news for the 1,000 or so members of staff who may lose their jobs as a result, but it's without doubt good news for consumers. Why? Because banks have long since been the wrong place to turn to for decent financial advice.

A former contestant in Lord Sugar's hit The Apprentice was given a suspended sentence for fraud today.

Head of Care Quality Commission says spending cuts will severely harm an already ailing system