Britain's businesses were given a range of measures to offer more staff benefits and cut employee costs, including a £2,000 cut to firms' national insurance contributions, in today's Budget.

Up to 2.5 million employers will benefit, while 450,000 of the country's smallest businesses will no longer pay any employer NICs

The German government insisted yesterday it had not demanded that Cyprus hit ordinary depositors as the price of its eurozone bank rescue, pointing the finger of blame instead at the government in Nicosia and the institutions of the eurozone.

Savers in Cypriot banks will be forced to hand over up to 10 per cent of their deposits to raise about €6bn

After weeks of angry public exchanges and protracted negotiations, Benjamin Netanyahu finally formed Israel’s new government today hours before an extended deadline expired.

If interest rates stay low the Treasury could be in line for a £50bn windfall

G4S saw its pre-tax profits dive by a third to £175m last year after the security giant swallowed £88m in costs for its high-profile failures over the London Olympics contract.

Treasury tax plan to ease strain on South-east and boost Wales's economy

Watchdog says only surge in tax revenues or drop in state spending could help Chancellor meet targets

Watchdog says only implausibly large surge in tax revenues or a significant drop in state spending could help Chancellor's boast be lived up to

Japan registered its worst ever monthly trade deficit in January courtesy of a jump in energy import prices which were driven up by a tumbling yen.

Political splits over Japan’s hyper-aggressive plans to jump-start its struggling economy have delayed the appointment of its top central banker, it emerged today.