UK Business News

FSA turns spotlight on the mutuals

Dozens of mutual life assurers and friendly societies could be forced to close down or merge under a new crackdown

Luxury defies high street crunch

Supermarkets and department stores across the country say that their customers have been battling for bargains

• Last-minute shoppers flock to the high street

• High street set for price war, says retail body

Takeover deals ready to emerge from hibernation

Senior bankers say that a return in confidence among chief executives should boost corporate takeovers this year

• BP chief says oil mega mergers are dead

• Will Kraft and Cadbury signal a new M&A era?

Rugby star tries for sevens league

Tim Lacey is closing in on a deal to raise up to £1 million to provide working capital to get the new league up and running

World Business News

Bernard Madoff’s UK arm is wound up

Liquidation of Bernard Madoff’s London-based investment business could shed new light on the fraudster’s operations

Tullow Oil’s Ugandan move

The FTSE 100 oil explorer is preparing to scupper a deal that would see half its prized oilfields in Uganda sold to Eni

• North Sea coal to be burnt underground

• Bumper year for share market

Bonus day at Wells Fargo

John Stumpf, the retail bank’s chief executive, was handed 379,600 shares on New Year’s Eve, valued at $10 million

• Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo raise share sales

• Citigroup's shares hit by US capital-raising

Brazil eyes UK banks

Itau Unibanco, the tenth-biggest in the world by market capitalisation, is running the rule over both RBS and Lloyds

Analysis

Misery and opportunity meet in 2010

A number of companies have managed to paper over the cracks but for those on the wrong end, it will not be a happy scenario

Decade will tip economy to the east

The world economy is recovering but is heavily skewed towards emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil

A year when tipsters took a tumble

‘I fear even a stock market recovery will have to wait until 2010. I hope I’m wrong.’ Boy, was I wrong

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