BBC News - Business

• Business attacks 'snobbish' - PM
  David Cameron is to praise business for its 'vital role' in society later and say attacks on wealth creators are motivated by "snobbery".
  
  
• Yen falls to seven-month low
  The Japanese yen falls to its lowest level against the US dollar in seven months, positive news for Japanese exporters.
  
  
• HP sales fall short of forecasts
  Computer firm Hewlett-Packard sees a drop in first-quarter sales, as it attempts to turn itself around under new chief executive Meg Whitman.
  
  
• Peacocks sold but 3,100 jobs lost
  Fashion retailer Peacocks is sold out of administration to Edinburgh Woollen Mill, saving 6,000 jobs, but 3,100 staff will be made redundant.
  
  
• Peugeot boosted by alliance talks
  Peugeot shares jump 12% after the carmaker confirms it is in talks about possible "co-operations and alliances".
  
  
• CBI seeking 'targeted' tax cuts
  The CBI calls on the government to give a £500m boost to business in the Budget through a series of "targeted and modest" tax cuts.
  
  
• Bank members voted for £75bn QE
  Minutes show two of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee wanted more money pumped into the economy, sending sterling down on the currency markets.
  
  
• Obama seeks US corporate tax cut
  US President Barack Obama proposes a cut in corporate tax and an end to tax loopholes, as part of his election-year strategy on the economy.
  
  
• Hotels chain to create 3,000 jobs
  Intercontinental hotels, which owns the Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza hotel brands, says it will create 3,000 jobs in the UK.
  
  
• Greek MPs consider bailout laws
  Protests take place outside parliament in Greece, as MPs consider emergency laws after a 130bn-euro bailout deal.
  
  
• Air Asia hit by high fuel costs
  Malaysian budget airline Air Asia reports a 56% fall in fourth-quarter profit, hurt by higher fuel costs.
  
  
• South Korea wins Navy tanker deal
  The Royal Navy selects South Korean firm Daewoo for a £452m deal to build four new fuel tankers.
  
  
• PPI payments 'hit £1.9bn in 2011'
  Banks paid out £1.9bn in compensation in 2011 for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, a watchdog says.
  
  
• Travis Perkins profits jump 37%
  Travis Perkins, the owner of Wickes, reports a jump in profits thanks to a strong performance in the building trade, but warned that the retail DIY market remains tough.
  
  
• EU court to rule on Acta legality
  A controversial anti-piracy agreement is to be referred to the EU's highest court due to concerns surrounding internet freedoms.
  
  
• New targets for tax inspectors
  Tax inspectors will target the motor trade, market stallholders and clothing sellers as they extend their campaign against tax dodgers.
  
  
• App helps blind people send texts
  An app designed to help blind people send text messages could have many uses for fully-sighted people too, researchers say.
  
  
• Vatican to lose tax-exempt status
  Italy's Catholic Church faces an annual multi-million euro bill over government plans to strip it of its tax-exempt status.
  
  
• Stamp price rise plans challenged
  MPs challenge a regulator about plans to remove price caps on first-class stamps and raise the price limit on second class to as much as 55p.
  
  
• New year drop in property sales
  Home sales recorded their typical new year dip, but transactions in the first month of the year were higher than any January since 2008, figures show.
  
  
• Cash offer for insulation 'help'
  British Gas is offering £50 to anyone who can pass on the name of an elderly person or a family on benefits who needs to have their home insulated.
  
  
• UK business confidence 'growing'
  The number of UK businesses planning to increase their spending on marketing has risen sharply from last year, a survey suggests.
  
  
• Eurozone service sector shrinks
  The eurozone's service sector shrinks unexpectedly in February, a survey suggests, increasing fears of a recession.
  
  
• Hungary may lose EU aid over debt
  The European Commission plans to freeze 495m euros of funding for Hungary, lamenting the country's excessive budget deficit.
  
  
• Dell forecasts decline in sales
  Dell reports an 18% drop in fourth-quarter profit and forecasts a fall in sales in the current quarter, sending it shares down in after-hours trading.
  
  
• Heathrow passengers reach record
  The number of passengers using BAA's Heathrow airport reached a record last year while losses for the company narrowed, the airport operator says.
  
  
• Megaupload founder granted bail
  The founder of shut down file-sharing website Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, is granted bail by a New Zealand court.
  
  
• Lin in 'Linsanity' trademark bid
  New York Knicks basketball player Jeremy Lin files to trademark the term "linsanity", used to characterize his rapid rise to NBA stardom.
  
  
• Rangers ex-chief questions Whyte
  A former chairman of Rangers suggests the debt the club owes Craig Whyte should be written off under the terms of the takeover contract.
  
  
• Clarke & IMG settle legal dispute
  England & Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke and media giant IMG have settled their legal dispute out of court.
  
  
• VIDEO: PPI claim 'a lot of hard work'
  The Financial Services Authority has revealed that compensation to borrowers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance reached nearly £2bn last year.
  
  
• AUDIO: The economic tide 'is coming in'
  Economist Geoffrey Dicks speaks to the Today programme's Lesley Curwen about the positive indicators of the UK's "real economy".
  
  
• VIDEO: British shoe company flourishing
  As Budget day looms Steph McGovern asks Peter Taylor the Managing Director of Hotter Shoes, what he would like to see the Chancellor do to help UK PLC.
  
  
• VIDEO: Could business help free schools?
  Newsnight's political editor Allegra Stratton discusses the politics of putting children's education into the hands of profit-making companies.
  
  
• VIDEO: Inside Apple's factory in China
  ABC presenter Bill Weir has been granted exclusive access to a factory in China run by Foxconn, one of the biggest suppliers for software giant Apple.
  
  
• VIDEO: CBI calls for 'targeted' tax cuts
  The CBI is calling on the government to give a £500m boost to business in the Budget through a series of "targeted and modest" tax cuts.
  
  
• AUDIO: Work experience is 'slave labour'
  Estelle Cooch from the Right To Work protest group says the government's work experience scheme is 'slave labour'.
  
  
• VIDEO: How smaller firms survive the recession
  Many British manufacturers have been hit by the recession, but other areas such as car production appear to be growing well.
  
  
• Journey around the public sector
  Public sector casualty seeks private sector job
  
  
• The tax credit system changes from April 2012
  How the tax credit system will change from April
  
  
• Small firms: How to expand
  Your latest start-up questions answered by our panel of experts
  
  
• Would a Peugeot GM alliance make sense?
  Would a Peugeot-GM alliance make sense?
  
  
• US turns up heat on China solar subsidies
  China and US in spat over solar subsidies
  
  
• Biosensors measure sporting success
  The new technologies changing sport performance
  
  
• Mobile money: Using your phone to transfer cash
  Using your mobile phone to transfer cash