Big investors continued to place deposits with Iceland’s banks even as the country’s economy was sliding into serious trouble. Those banks, of course, duly collapsed.

An economist who was part of the management buy-out that established Ashmore Investment Management argues how pensions funds are being put at risk as governments in the West use ‘financial repression’ to finance national debt.

Council officials are threatening to punish private schools that offer “coaching” to pupils to prepare them for the 11-plus test.

Exaro has established that Buckinghamshire County Council has taken the extraordinary step as it introduces a new 11-plus exam aimed at reducing the effect of such coaching. The local authority is threatening to strip “partner schools” of their status.

Demands by tax officials for client lists and other third-party data sets have increased by nearly a half since the coalition government came to power.

Figures released to Exaro under the Freedom of Information Act show that HM Revenue & Customs used its powers to obtain “bulk information” many more times in the tax year just ended, compared with 2010-11.

MPs are accusing the Ministry of Defence of forcing children of service personnel to stay at schools in the face of allegations of sexual abuse.

MoD officials revealed that, under the rules on education benefit for top forces personnel, children may have to remain at a private school even where they allege that they have been sexually abused. Updated 23 May 2013.