Business news
BBC News - Business
Apology over level crossing deaths
Network Rail offers a "full and unreserved apology" to families bereaved by level crossing accidents, as MPs criticise its handling of deaths in the past.
Landmark default in China solar firm
Chaori Solar becomes the first Chinese firm to default on its onshore corporate bonds, say media reports quoting the firm, after failing to make an interest payment.
Bitcoin not a currency says Japan
Japan's government says Bitcoin is not a currency but that some transactions using the virtual unit should be taxed.
Safeway to be sold to Cerberus
US supermarket firm Safeway agrees to be bought by an investment group led by Cerberus Capital Management, the owner of Albertsons and other supermarket chains.
DoJ probes Comcast-Time Warner deal
The US Department of Justice launches an antitrust probe of Comcast's proposed $45bn acquisition of Time Warner Cable.
BA plane grounded by 'engine surge'
A plane is forced to turn back shortly after taking off at Heathrow Airport after an "engine surge" in the air.
The S&P 500 hits a new record high at close on Thursday, the second such development in three days.
Staples closes North American stores
American stationer Staples says it will close 225 stores in the US and Canada as sales in the fourth quarter fell 10.6%
UK interest rates kept at record low
The Bank of England keeps the benchmark UK interest rate at 0.5%, five years after it first cut the rate to its current record low.
Energy firms probed over power cuts
Ofgem is to investigate the response of SSE and UK Power Networks to the storms that left thousands of homes without power last Christmas.
John Lewis gives staff 15% bonus
The 91,000 staff of the John Lewis Partnership will receive an annual bonus worth 15% of their salaries.
Power blackouts end in South Africa
South Africa's power emergency ends on Thursday night, says state power company Eskom, after a day of rolling blackouts.
UK house price rises 'accelerating'
House price rises are continuing to accelerate across the UK, according to the latest snapshot from the Halifax mortgage lender.
Eurozone interest rate held at 0.25%
The European Central Bank keeps its benchmark interest rate at the historic low of 0.25% and raises its growth forecast for the eurozone.
Bank websites put to 'sinister' use
Many websites once used by US banks have been taken over by spammers and virus writers, reveals research.
Group sacked from UK work scheme
The government is to terminate the contract of one of the companies providing their flagship welfare-to-work scheme because of poor performance.
Creator of Bitcoin 'found' in US
Claims by Newsweek to have found the man who invented the Bitcoin virtual cash system have drawn criticism and scepticism.
Convicted banker's protest walk
A financial trader walks from Rome to Paris in a quest for "divine justice".
World's most expensive city revealed
Singapore is the world's most expensive city to live in, a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit suggests.
Crowdfunding rule angers industry
Crowdfunding start-up entrepreneurs are angered by new regulations that they say will take the crowd out of crowdfunding.
Leasehold service charges probed
The fraught relationship between leaseholders and their freeholders is going to be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Childcare 'costs more than mortgage'
Many parents in Britain are now paying more for childcare in a year than the average annual mortgage bill, a report claims.
UK car sales see further increase
UK car sales in February were up 3% from a year earlier, helped by rising consumer confidence, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says.
Shell boss: Scots should stay in UK
The chief executive of the oil company Shell says he would like Scotland to "remain part of the UK".
'Carbon bubble' threatens markets
The world's financial markets could be creating a "carbon bubble" by overvaluing the fossil fuel assets of large companies.
Evernote's self-deprecating boss
Phil Libin, the boss of US tech firm Evernote, is a rare breed of chief executive - one who is happy to admit his failings.
Can friends make it in business?
You socialise together, you confide in each other, you trust each other - you're best friends. But could you ever run a business together?
Rebuilding broken High Street dreams
How success on a reality TV show turned out to be a "double-edged sword" for family firm, Mr Singh's Sauce, who have had to rebuild the company.
QPR announce £65m loss for 2013
Championship side QPR announce a loss of over £65m in their accounts to May 2013 and an overall debt of £177.1m
Forest losses climb to over £17m
Nottingham Forest announce a loss of more than £17m for the 2012-13 season, up from a loss of £12.2m the previous year.
Cheltenham revamp contractor named
A £45m redevelopment of Cheltenham Racecourse will be carried out by construction firm Kier after it won a tender for the work.
How data defenders are using analytics to fight hackers
Geneva Motor Show: A Briton at the wheels of BMW
A Briton at the wheels at BMW
Russia's economic fears and the Crimea crisis
Why fear of recession might be driving Putin's policies
Electric cars: No longer the exception?
Why Porsche and others are investing in electric cars
The shadowy threat from China’s lenders
How big a problem are China's shadow banks?
Business leaders on Scots referendum
What has UK big business been saying on independence?
Who has benefited from low interest rates?
Who has benefited from record low interest rates?
Tunisia's entrepreneurs want reforms
Tunisia's entrepreneurs call for a raft of pro-business reforms
Journey inside a driverless car
What driverless cars could feel like for passengers
Running a music festival on the beach in Mexico
Source: BBC News - Business
BBC News - Business
VIDEO: Dark trade of China's 'shadow banks'
China's debt has mounted, with a lot of money owed to unregulated "shadow banks.''
VIDEO: 'Feminine approach' to tattooing
More women are at the helm of small and medium-size businesses in Asia. Tattoo artist Sumithra Debi explains why being a woman helps her stand out.
VIDEO: Low interest rates: Winners and losers
After five years of record low base rates, you might think borrowers benefited and savers lost out - but it is not that straightforward, as Dominic Laurie reports.
AUDIO: Teacher defends balloon art course
Lucy Hennessey, who did a Balloon Artistry course, reacts to news that courses like hers are to have funding cuts.
AUDIO: Crowdfunding user backs regulation
A cake maker who used crowdfunding to expand her business has backed new peer lending regulations.
VIDEO: 'Funeral' at Bank for lost savings
The campaign group Save Our Savers has held a 'funeral' for the £326bn it says UK savers have lost over the past five years due to record low interest rates.
VIDEO: John Lewis staff celebrate 15% bonus
John Lewis staff have been celebrating receiving an annual bonus worth 15% of their salaries, as chairman Charlie Mayfield talks about the challenges facing retailers.
VIDEO: Is France's short week on way out?
Nigel Cassidy asks whether the traditional French working week can survive in the face of tough economic times and immigrants prepared to work longer hours.
AUDIO: Son criticises iPad inheritance rule
A man who was left an iPad in his late mother's will has criticised Apple for not unlocking the device.
VIDEO: The serious business of festival fun
Two directors of the BPM Festival in Mexico talk about creating and growing their business - and operating in a foreign country.
AUDIO: Sausage skin maker's profit drops
Devro, the Scottish maker of sausage skins, has reported a fall in profits from £39.3m to £37.5m.
VIDEO: Eurostar breaks 10m passenger record
Eurostar boss Nicolas Petrovic says competition from rival rail operators is good after annual passenger numbers broke the 10 million mark for the first time.
AUDIO: The role of business on climate change
Christiana Figueres and Gareth Stace discuss the role of business in tackling climate change
AUDIO: The 0.5% interest rate five years on
Economist Kate Barker and former Chancellor Lord Lamont discuss whether we should have kept the 0.5% interest rate
VIDEO: Why UK drinkers pay more duty on wine
Wine critic Peter Richards puts the case for calling time on the duty escalator, saying drinkers pay 57% on a bottle.
VIDEO: 'No mercy' for China corruption
China's Premier has announced plans to tackle corruption "without mercy" at the opening of the annual parliamentary session in Beijing.
AUDIO: Legal and General's profits up 10%
Nigel Wilson, chief executive of financial services firm Legal and General, discusses his plans to invest in UK infrastructure outside of London.
VIDEO: Last of the sealing ring engravers
Neil Oliver is one of the last remaining wax seal engravers in Britain
AUDIO: 'Ukraine crisis may hit gas prices'
UK gas prices could rise as a result of the Ukraine crisis, a leading energy consultant has warned.
VIDEO: PM: More money in taxpayers' pockets
David Cameron has suggested that further public spending savings could be used to fund tax cuts.
VIDEO: 'Childcare costs made me quit my job'
Mother-of-three Lynne Keeble describes how she was forced to give up her job because of the cost of childcare.
VIDEO: 'Record levels of apprenticeships'
The number of apprenticeships are at record levels, with engineering applicants up by more than 20%, says Matt Hancock.
AUDIO: Migrants 'more entrepreneurial'
The entrepreneurial activity of migrant workers is double that of UK-born individuals, according to a report.
VIDEO: Arctic summit starts in London
Oil, mining and shipping companies are debating the Arctic's business and geopolitical future at a two-day summit in London.
VIDEO: Ford boss: Magic can happen
Ford chief operating officer Mark Fields says "magic can happen" when people work closely together.
AUDIO: Lasers speed up New York share trades
Mike Persico discusses his firm's plans to introduce laser beam connectivity between the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.
AUDIO: Managing a school food bank
Christ the King Catholic Maths and Computing College explain how their teacher's "light bulb moment" inspired then to organise a Friday food bank at their school to collect dried food for charity.
VIDEO: Sri Lanka struggles with drought
Sri Lanka's most important crops - rice and tea - are under threat as a result of a drought. Charles Haviland speaks to farmers struggling to cope.
VIDEO: A look at first railcard for 30 years
Business reporter Stephanie McGovern looks at how the new "Two Together Railcard" would work - and how it had been received
VIDEO: Inside a Nigerian private jet
Nigerians have spent $6.5bn on private jets - the BBC visits one in Lagos.
VIDEO: 'Businesses want fair rates system'
A business rates specialist tells BBC Breakfast that companies find it difficult to understand how their rates bills are calculated.
AUDIO: Thorntons 'committed' to high street
Thorntons chief executive Jonathan Hart discusses the company's profits, which have risen 47%, and says their customer base continues to be "very loyal".
AUDIO: London is 'cyclotron on bright people'
Evan Davis speaks to Mayor of London Boris Johnson as he tries to find out why the UK capital is such a dominant force.
VIDEO: Europe's battle for Chinese currency
Joe Lynam reports on how Luxembourg is courting Chinese banks in its battle to become Europe's yuan trading hub.
VIDEO: Asia sees rising movie investment
Asia is seeing a rapid rise in investment in its film industries as Asian box office revenues continue to grow. Sharanjit Leyl reports from Singapore.
VIDEO: International schools demand surges
As part of an ongoing series on the expat economy, Puneet Pal Singh reports on the surging demand for international schools in Singapore.
VIDEO: Why is the sari back in fashion?
There are signs that the sari is back in fashion with urban Indian women, as Shilpa Kannan reports.
VIDEO: Africa's richest man: Aliko Dangote
Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote talks about his journey to success, why he is finally getting into the oil industry and how he avoids corruption.
AUDIO: Russian economy 'increasingly weak'
Russia's economy could suffer long term damage if turmoil in Ukraine continues, an economist warns.
VIDEO: Childcare 'costs more than a mortgage'
Part-time childcare in Britain cost more a year than the average mortgage according to campaigners.
VIDEO: Half a million in negative equity
Nearly 500,000 households in the UK are still in negative equity, according to nearly released figures.
VIDEO: The Arabs hoping to explore space
Howard Johnson reports on the Middle East's growing space industry.
VIDEO: Bankruptcy for bitcoin exchange MtGox
One of the world's biggest Bitcoin exchanges, MtGox, has filed for bankruptcy.
Source: BBC News - Business