Australia's budget offers small businesses a boost

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has delivered the country's budget, promising to help small businesses and ensure parents can join the workforce.

Growth slows less than feared, easing pressure for rate cut

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A slowdown in India's economy in the last quarter will increase calls for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step up reforms but was less severe than feared, giving the Reserve Bank ammunition to resist government pressure to cut interest rates.

China factories extend slump

China's factories continued to struggle in April, according to an early gauge of activity in the country's all-important manufacturing sector.

Labour's Chuka Umunna slams government export schemes

Two major government export schemes have failed to help a single firm, the shadow business secretary has said.

UK business lending falls by £4.8bn

The Bank's April trends in lending survey showed that net lending to businesses fell by £4.8bn over the quarter, with lending down by £2.8bn in February alone.

Bank of England mulls negative interest rates

Paul Tucker, the Bank’s deputy governor for financial stability, raised the possibility in front of MPs after expressing concerns that current policies are not “reaching as far into the SME [small and medium sized enterprises] sector as we would like”.