FirstGroup put more of its bus services on the block today after admitting fuel costs, lower demand and reduced subsidies were hurting the division.

Debilitating power cuts in Burma have pushed hundreds of protesters out on to the streets in the biggest public demonstrations since the Saffron Revolution five years ago. Several members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party have reportedly been detained.

There has been no shortage of takeover chatter around Hammerson lately. The possibility of the developer – whose portfolio includes the Brent Cross and Bullring shopping centres in north London and Birmingham – being snapped up has caused much excitement, and the bid spotlight was switched back on yesterday.

Nearly 10% of shareholder votes rejected Royal Dutch Shell's pay report at its annual meeting today after the oil giant's boss doubled his earnings last year.

Hard-pressed motorists have enjoyed a respite from record-high fuel prices in recent days, according to AA figures.

Continuing rises in the price of petrol could drive some motorists off the roads for good, according to a survey.

Households were facing the prospect of more price hikes today after British Gas owner Centrica warned its costs continued to mount.

Rising fuel costs and the impact of Spain's economic crisis left the owner of British Airways and Iberia nursing big quarterly losses today.

Air France-KLM posted a first-quarter net loss of 368 million euros (£299 million) today, saying that high fuel costs and a continued drop in cargo had cut into its profits.

Supermarket chain Asda is to cut its fuel prices by up to 2p a litre.

The price of petrol at the pumps has risen to a new high, the AA said today.

In a bold move to gain control of Argentina's energy reserves, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner pushed forward a bill to renationalise the country's largest oil company despite fierce criticism from abroad and the risk of a major rift with Spain.

Prices are political. On one level this is a statement of the obvious. Of course the price of goods or services is political. Voters get worried or angry about how much things cost. Leaders who want to win elections must take note. Except that for the past three decades, the price of things is not something voters have got especially worked up about.

Record fuel prices, recession and rain could make the drive back home after the Easter break one of the quietest for years.