
Senior Barclays bankers paid Qatar £322m in secret fees during the financial crisis in return for bailout funds, a court heard on Wednesday. The case against four former executives has been filed by the UK's Serious Fraud Office over Barclays' £11.8bn rescue.

Brexit is driving a much heralded jobs boom and expansion in the financial services industry – in Luxembourg. According to lobby group Luxembourg for Finance, 47 banks, insurers, wealth managers and investment firms have plans to move some business activities to the Grand Duchy in order to cope with potential disruption from Britain’s impending departure from the European Union.

Argentina’s central bank said it bought US$ 50 million at an average price of 37.597 Pesos per dollar in the foreign exchange market on Tuesday, part of its effort to maintain the currency in a trading band agreed with the International Monetary Fund.

China and Europe take centre stage at Davos on Wednesday, a day after Brazil's hard-right President Jair Bolsonaro promised reform and respect for the environment to the world's business elite.

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has paid a fine of almost €19 million for tax fraud in Spain on Tuesday but will avoid a 23-month prison sentence as part of the deal.

United States Vice President Mike Pence issued a video message of support to Venezuelans on Tuesday to encourage those who are protesting against President Nicolas Maduro and underline U.S. backing for opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Brazil's newly-elected populist President Jair Bolsonaro addressed the world's business elite in Davos on Tuesday, vowing to transform Latin America's largest economy into a more investment-friendly country. On his first international trip since becoming president, Bolsonaro delivered the keynote speech at the World Economic Forum.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is heading to London for Brexit talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. Mrs. May is attempting to build support for her withdrawal plan and is holding talks with opposition parties and the Scottish and Welsh governments.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that escalating trade tensions could undermine global economic growth. In a new report on the world economic outlook, the IMF also warns of risks from a no-deal Brexit. For the world economy, the IMF is now predicting growth of 3.5% in 2019. In October, it forecast 3.7%.

The European Council President Donald Tusk told David Cameron to “get real” over his “stupid referendum” before the 2016 Brexit vote, a BBC documentary reveals. Mr Tusk tells the three-part show that he warned the then prime minister there was no “appetite for revolution in Europe” and he “could lose everything”.