Lending to businesses in the debt-mired eurozone contracted again in January, data published by the European Central Bank showed on Thursday.

Private sector loans dropped by 2.0 percent in January in a year-on-year comparison, the ECB said, after already contracting by 2.3 percent in December.

Britain's economy grew by less than thought last year, but still showed the fastest annual growth since before the financial crisis, revised official data showed on Wednesday.

The nation's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 1.8 percent in 2013, down from the previous growth figure of 1.9 percent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement giving its latest estimates.

Switzerland's second largest bank, Credit Suisse, used elaborate measures to find wealthy clients and help an estimated 19,000 U.S. customers evade American tax authorities, a scathing report from a Senate inquiry said Tuesday.

The report contains the results of a two-year Senate investigation and comes a day before the heavily-anticipated questioning of Credit Suisse chief Brady Dougan and other top bank officials before the panel.

Oil prices eased in Asian trade Wednesday as dealers await the latest U.S. crude stockpiles data for clues about demand in the world's biggest economy at the tail-end of a harsh winter.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for April delivery, eased 13 cents to $101.70 in afternoon trade. Brent North Sea crude for April was down 16 cents at $109.35.

Consumer confidence in Germany is still on the rise as households feel optimistic about their income expectations, a new poll found on Wednesday.

"Consumers remain optimistic," market research company GfK said in a statement.

Asia experienced a billionaire boom last year, with more than 200 people from the continent seeing their net worth pass into 10 figures, a Chinese publisher said Tuesday.

A total of 824 Asians were included among the 1,867 people named as dollar billionaires on the Hurun Report's global rich list.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, clocked up a small surplus in its public finances in 2013, as growth picked up at the end of the year, official data showed on Tuesday.

"According to Destatis's latest calculations, the federal state's financing surplus amounted to 0.3 billion euros ($0.4 billion) in 2013," the federal statistics office Destatis said in a statement.

With the Turkish government already facing protests over its clampdown on Internet sites and the media, new credit card restrictions are now adding shoppers and retailers to the list of angry citizens.

Turkey's banking regulator introduced new rules earlier this month to clamp down on the use of widely used credit card installment plans, in a bid to stem spending on imports and rein in the ballooning current account deficit.

Struggling Australian carrier Qantas on Tuesday said it was committed to slashing costs by Aus$2 billion (U.S.$1.8 billion) but refused to confirm or deny a report that it will axe 5,000 jobs.

The airline has been battling record fuel costs and fierce competition from subsidized rivals and in December said 1,000 jobs would go while warning it faced a half-year loss of up to Aus$300 million.

Russia's economy minister warned Ukraine in an interview on Monday that Moscow will raise import duties on its goods if Kiev signs a partnership agreement with the European Union.

"We say to Ukraine: you have the right to go your own way," Alexei Ulyukayev was quoted as telling German business daily Handelsblatt.