Euro collapse could halve luxury London home prices
LONDON - Prices of the best central London homes could halve if the euro zone breaks up, as the safe-haven appeal of sterling disappears and weaker European currencies give rise to bargains elsewhere, research showed.
Car insurers face anti-trust probe
LONDON - Britain's car insurers look set to be investigated by anti-trust regulators after the Office of Fair Trading said "dysfunctional" competition pushes up annual premiums by 225 million pounds.
UK consumers perk up
LONDON - British consumer confidence picked up in May, propelled by a marked easing of pessimism about the future, a survey by GfK NOP showed on Thursday, pointing to some resilience in a major driver of the economy.
House prices rise 0.3 percent in May
LONDON - House prices rose slightly more than expected this month to leave prices broadly unchanged on a year ago against a backdrop of generally subdued demand, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Thursday.
UK firms to add jobs and restrain pay - CBI
- Businesses in Britain intend to increase their workforces in the coming year, although wage growth is likely to remain sluggish in what is emerging as a new long-term trend, the Confederation of British Industry said on Thursday.
Housing market pick-up belies broader weakness
LONDON - Britain's property market showed signs of a small bounce-back in April, with Bank of England data showing mortgage approvals rising to their highest since January, but broader lending figures suggested the overall economy remained weak.
Investors may be stoking the volatility they fear
LONDON - Long-term investors fearful of another global financial storm may be better prepared than they were before Lehman Brothers went bust in 2008, but their increasingly nervous disposition could itself be making markets more fragile.
Government announces "pasty tax" U-turn
LONDON - The government is to modify VAT on hot takeaway food after months of criticism that its planned "pasty tax" showed it was out of touch with ordinary people.
Fed up with austerity, Britons want plan B - poll
LONDON - Seven out of 10 Britons want the government to soften its spending cuts and do more to stimulate economic growth, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday that will make uncomfortable reading for the ruling coalition.
Euro zone bank safety net leaves holes unplugged
FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS - As the euro zone ponders a possible Greek exit, policymakers have not yet built a shield robust enough to prevent a bank run in one country sending others in the bloc deeper into crisis.
Al Jazeera eyes new London home in Shard skyscraper
LONDON - Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera is in advanced talks to move into London's Shard skyscraper, the tallest tower in western Europe, a source close to the deal told Reuters.
UK Plc faces 100 bln stg pension bill - study
LONDON - UK plc could face a 100 billion pound bill over the next three years to plug rising deficits in its pension schemes, new research shows, limiting cash available for dividends, stock buybacks and capital investment.
Government to put funds in alternative business lending
LONDON - The government plans to pump 100 million pounds through alternative lending platforms such as peer-to-peer lending as part of its efforts to boost funding for small businesses.