UK Business News

Banks tipped to boost mortgages in early 2010

Lenders have offered more mortages this year and are expected to boost activity further, the Bank of England says

Post-Christmas collapse of d2 threatens 800 jobs

Fashion chain set up by Sir Tom Hunter becomes the first post-Christmas retail casualty, as BDO attempts to find a buyer

• Retailers revel in unexpected Christmas spree

• Waterstone's drags HMV to first-half loss

Rothschild steers steady course through recession

Resilient performance by banking group, as fees from capital-raisings and restructurings boost profits to €239.7m

• Government widens tax net to include Rothschild

• Business big shot: Nat Rothschild

SpinVox sold to US rival for £64m

Voice recognition company sells for fraction of previous estimate after year in which it was hit by damaging allegations

World Business News

Iceland approves £3.4bn Icesave loss deal

By a narrow margin, Icelandic parliament approves Bill to repay money after British and Dutch savers lose out

Japan pledges to end economic spiral

Four-month-old Government promises annual economic growth of 2% by 2020 and escape from 'downward-sloping tunnel'

• Japan’s record-breaking streak is at an end

• Banks reject minister’s pleas over JAL

South Korea pardons former Samsung boss

Lee Kun-hee, who was convicted of tax evasion, is now free to help with his country's Winter Olympics bid

• Samsung chief indicted on tax evasion charge

• Samsung chairman quits after corruption probe

Cosmetics groups cash in as India lightens up

Indians have obsessed over skin tones for centuries and perhaps the most glaring opportunity is in the market for men

Analysis

Labour sees a City without honour

Gone are the days when Tony Blair showered British business leaders with gongs — the haul for business is strikingly meagre

• Taxman launches a two-footed tackle

• Eastern Standard time could prove tricky

Lipstick and daffodils won’t save us

Little treats at Christmas don’t mean the recession is over. Labour has caused terrible damage

Tempus: Salamander leads market-beating show

While it was a banner year for the stock market, with it rising by 24.7 per cent, the Tempus Ten did even better

Law  

Thousands to be saved from losing homes

The Government plans to close a legal loophole that allows mortgage lenders to seize homes without getting a court order

Camra calls on consumers in pub fight

Campaign for Real Ale vows to launch legal challenge to OFT ruling that big pub companies are not behaving anti-competitively

Dickensian ‘logbook loans’ to be banned

Kevin Brennan, the Consumer Minister, says lenders are able to seize cars from vulnerable borrowers without court orders

Money  

Where the experts will be putting their money

Four top advisers name funds and sectors to buy

• Can shares stun again in 2010?

• Five ways to fight back for your cash

Can shares stun again in 2010?

Few predicted the strength of this year’s market rally. We look at the prospects for the next 12 months

• Where the experts will be putting their money

• How you can still win in a sluggish property market

Recycle your Christmas and let virtually nothing go to waste

How to offload those unwanted gifts, trees, cards, faulty lights and even tin foil

business travel  

Profile: Telecoms boss Ian Carr

The MD of Team Simoco explains why he always packs his pyjamas and discusses the company's Beijing sickbed

Stop moaning about travel disruption, it's Christmas

Business travellers have faced trying times in the past two weeks but many of the problems are beyond the control of the airlines and rail companies

How business travellers take their holidays

With Christmas upon us, we look at how frequent business travellers approach leisure travel