Barclays pre-tax profits jumped almost a third in 2010 to £6.07bn, slightly higher than analysts were expecting.

Banks will reveal salary details of their highest paid staff and lend businesses £190bn this year under Project Merlin, but their top earners will not be hit with a bonus tax, the government said today.

The government says it will increase the levy on bank profits to £2.5bn this year, to raise an extra £800m for the public purse.

Europe should relieve Greece of a third of its debt burden as the country's programme of cuts will only stifle economic growth, says Mohamed El-Erian.

Sterling rose to a fresh three-month high versus the dollar this morning after UK services data came in above expectations.

Liontrust must stump up £415,000 for its contribution to the FSCS levy, a near 2000% increase on last year, as the industry continues to pay the cost of a series of investment firm failures.

UPDATE: The UK index of 100 leading stocks had jumped 58.87 points to 5921.81 by 2pm, an increase of 1%, led by rising commodity prices as civil unrest in Egypt continues.

A leading economic think-tank today urged George Osborne to delay the dramatic public sector cuts which underpin his economic policies, and to u-turn on them completely if the economy falters again.

Leading Tokyo shares fell on Friday after ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) downgraded Japan's creditworthiness.

The Dow Jones broke through the 12,000 level for the first time since June 2008 on Wednesday, following calls for a cut in corporate taxes and a unanimous vote by policymakers to maintain a $600bn bond-buying plan.