Banking giant Barclays has posted pre-tax profits of £5.9bn for 2011, a fall of 3% on the previous year.

Commuters face treacherous conditions today after fresh snow fell across much of Britain and added to the danger of ice on the roads.

Snow, rain and ice are returning to parts of Britain, causing dangerous road conditions that have led to a number of accidents including a multiple pile-up.

The Bank of England has announced that it will extend its quantitative easing (QE) programme by £50bn in a bid to stave off a double-dip recession.

The UK high street has had its second-worst January since records began 17 years ago, figures from the British Retail Consortium have revealed.