Floral tributes are seen outside the Royal Military Barracks, near the scene where a man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 23, 2013. REUTERS/Neil Hall

Cameron seeks answers after soldier hacked to death

Prime Minister David Cameron convenes an emergency meeting of his intelligence chiefs after two Islamists hacked a soldier to death with meat cleavers on a south London street.  Full Article | Video 

First-quarter economic growth unrevised at 0.3 percent 9:45am BST

LONDON - Britain's economy grew 0.3 percent in the first quarter as originally estimated, but consumer spending rose at its weakest pace since the third quarter of 2011.

European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier answers reporters' questions during an interview with Reuters at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels February 28, 2013.  REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

EU wants big firms to reveal national tax bills

BRUSSELS - Large companies should disclose how much tax they pay in each country where they operate, the European Commission's top regulatory official Michel Barnier says.  Full Article 

A general view of Bushehr nuclear power plant, 1,200 km (746 miles) south of Tehran, August 21, 2010. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi

Iran seeks to speed up nuclear activity

VIENNA - Iran is trying to accelerate its uranium enrichment programme, a U.N. nuclear report shows, but experts say it is unclear when Tehran's new machines could start operating and how efficiently they would work.  Full Article 

A woman collects bricks at a demolition site, where an old village is making way for new buildings, on the outskirts of Beijing, May 23, 2013.  REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

China urbanisation plan hit by spending fears

BEIJING - China's plan to spend $6.5 trillion on urbanisation is running into snags, as leaders fear it could push up local debt levels and inflate a property bubble.  Full Article 

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Joint Economic Committee in Washington May 22, 2013.   REUTERS/Gary Cameron

Decision to taper U.S. stimulus may come soon

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus is helping the U.S. economy recover but the central bank needs to see further signs of traction before taking its foot off the gas pedal, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says.  Full Article | Video 

An illustration picture shows the log-on icon for the Website Twitter on an Ipad in Bordeaux, Southwestern France, January 30, 2013.  REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

Twitter beefs up security after hacking spree

Twitter unveils technology to boost security for its users, following a spate of attacks on accounts of prominent media outlets including the Associated Press and the Financial Times.  Full Article 

The Ford logo is seen on a vehicle in this file photo. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel/Files

High costs push Ford out of Australia

CANBERRA - Ford will shut its two Australian auto plants in October 2016, blaming a strong currency and costs that are hitting manufacturers just as the country looks for other sectors of its economy to cushion the end of a mining boom.  Full Article 

A convertible Lenovo Ultrabook is displayed during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 7, 2013.  REUTERS/Steve Marcus

Lenovo buys and diversifies to outshine rivals

HONG KONG - Lenovo Group's bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades.  Full Article 

Reuters Today: Bernanke Sparks Massive Sell Off

May 23 - Fed Chairman Bernanke and weak Chinese data rattle markets. Japan's Nikkei tumbles over 7 percent - its biggest one-day fall in two years - shedding over 1,000 points. Europe deeply in the red too.

Edward Hadas

Apple, hypocrisy and stakeholder tax

Politicians are hypocrites when they complain about the cross-border tax strategies of Apple and other multinationals. But "hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue". It’s high time that companies admit taxes on profit are fair payments for the help that governments give them.  Commentary 

Laurence Copeland

Thanks, Greece

The euro zone crisis has been a piece of luck for Britain. Thanks to the Greeks, the euro turned into a crisis currency rather than a safe haven, and the pound came to look more and more like one of the less risky options.  Commentary 

Hugo Dixon

UK should get on front foot with City

Britain has been playing a defensive game in response to the barrage of misguided financial rules from Brussels. It now needs to sell the City as part of the solution to Europe's problems. The opportunity is huge.  Commentary 

Jeffrey Goldfarb

Mayer puts exclamation mark back in Yahoo

Marissa Mayer's $1.1 billion deal to buy blogging site Tumblr bolsters the website’s firepower in the mobile arms race. It’s the latest sign that Mayer has the backing of her board and shareholders to take risks. In less than a year, she has turned Yahoo from a purple joke to part of the buzz.  Commentary 

John Foley

Goldman trumps HSBC in financial Chinese chequers

Selling its final stake in lender ICBC leaves Goldman Sachs with an annual return on its investment of around 36 percent. HSBC, which just sold out of insurer Ping An after ten years, notched up a lesser 23 percent. The reason: the UK lender put strategic value before profit.  Commentary