Mexican shakes up world rich list
Mexican Carlos Slim overtakes Bill Gates as the world's richest man, according to the Forbes "rich list", with a fortune of $53.5bn.

BP to explore for oil in Brazil
Oil giant BP announces a $7bn (£4.7bn) deal that will allow it to begin exploring for oil off the coast of Brazil.

China inflation at 16-month high
Chinese inflation hit a 16-month high in February, leading to calls for the government to take measures to cool the economy.

Daihatsu recalling cars in Japan
Carmaker Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, is recalling 274,551 vehicles in Japan because of a number of possible defects.

Japan's economic growth rate cut
Japan's economy grew by less than first estimated in the final quarter of 2009, revised government figures show.

Greeks stage fresh general strike
Public and transport services grind to a halt in Greece as workers stage a third strike in protest at austerity measures.

Union to consider BA strike dates
Union leaders representing British Airways cabin crew will meet later to decide whether to announce dates for a strike.

US reports record budget deficit
The US government records a budget deficit of $221bn (£147.6bn) in February - the largest monthly deficit in its history.

UK snow insurance claims at £650m
Insurers paid out £650m from 335,000 claims made as a result of damage caused by the wintry weather in the UK.

China denies World Cup sweatshop
A Shanghai company denies it used sweatshop labour to produce World Cup mascots, as Fifa suspends its manufacturing contract.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz snaps up debt rescue deal
Photographer Annie Leibovitz does a deal with Colony Capital to clear huge debts that meant she may have lost her library of famous pictures.

Toyota rejects electronics fears
Toyota rejects claims that faulty electronics could be behind its worldwide recall of more than eight million cars.

Car sales see continued recovery
UK car sales in February were up by 26.4% compared with the same month last year, industry figures show.

Red Knights get advisers for bid
The Red Knights group eyeing a possible bid for Manchester United says investment bank Nomura will advise it.

Doubts over 2012 Olympics legacy
A Welsh MP echoes concerns of a former UK sports minister on the benefits of the London Olympics to the rest of the country.

Booting up Brazil
Brazil exploits potential as web use spreads

Tough task
Economic challenge for new president in quake-hit Chile

Independent day
The Independent could be free under a new owner

Bright ideas
Why intellectual property is not a luxury

High flyer
The extra ordinary life of the man from the Pru

Dotcom Crash
10 years on from the burst Nasdaq bubble

High-speed rail line plan awaited
Plans for a new high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham are to be published by the government later.

UK economy 'still growing weakly'
The UK economy grew by 0.3% in the December to February period, says the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

UK industrial output falls back
Industrial production in the UK fell unexpectedly in January, dropping by 0.4% form December, official data has shown.

Profits at John Lewis rise 9.7%
Department store group John Lewis reports a 9.7% rise in annual profits to £306.6m as staff share a bumper bonus.

Morrisons profit up on new stores
The UK's fourth biggest supermarket group, Morrisons, reports a 30% rise in annual profits after it opens more stores.

Pompey axe 85 jobs to cut costs
Administrators at Portsmouth FC start to make employees redundant, with 85 people losing their jobs.

SA starts World Cup countdown
With 100 days to the World Cup, South Africans talk about their hopes and fears for the tournament

Zimbabwe move on firms' ownership
A Zimbabwean law that forces companies to sell a majority stake in their businesses to indigenous people comes into effect.

Insurers 'face $7bn Chile bill'
The earthquake in Chile may cost the global insurance industry as much as $7bn (£4.7bn), Swiss Re estimates.

Northrop and EADS exit tanker bid
Northrop Grumman and EADS pull out of bidding for a $35bn US Air Force air-to-air refuelling tanker contract.

China's exports see big increase
China's exports surged 46% in February, figures show, raising hopes of a strong recovery in global trade.

Cathay Pacific returns to profit
Cathay Pacific reports a return to full-year profit as cost cutting and bets on the price of fuel pay off.

German exports fall unexpectedly
German exports fell unexpectedly in January, with analysts saying that the cold weather that month was to blame.

Smaller losses at Northern Rock
Northern Rock says that it made "good progress" in 2009, after reporting a sharp fall in its annual losses.

EU: Settlement goods not Israeli
The European Court of Justice rules that Israeli goods made in Jewish settlements cannot be considered Israeli.

Iraq given its largest IMF loan
The IMF is to lend Iraq $3.6bn to rebuild its infrastructure as low oil prices slash its revenue.

India's Essar 'planning UK float'
Indian conglomerate Essar Group is reported to be planning to float on the London Stock Exchange, a move that could raise up to $3bn.

India to review economy stimulus
India's government unveils its annual budget, saying that stimulus measures introduced to boost growth must be reviewed.

Warning on packaged bank accounts
Bank accounts which charge fees for extra benefits may be being mis-sold, the Financial Services Authority has warned.

Banking fraud 'moves to internet'
Fraudsters are continuing their switch from traditional card fraud to raiding online bank accounts, research suggests.

Payment protection rules delayed
The Financial Services Authority is delaying its plans to combat the mis-selling of payment protection insurance.

Standard Life enjoys profit boost
Insurance firm Standard Life reports better-than-expected profits and unveils plans for a further cost-cutting.