Co-Operative Bank Plc said it will halt loans to new business customers, two weeks after Moody's Investors Service cut the British lender's rating to junk.

Fears over the UK's continuing energy security were fuelled today after a report claimed Britain came dangerously close in March to its gas supply running out and its lights being switched off.

The blue-chip index fell 2.1pc to close at 6696.79 on Thursday. The FTSE 100 ended Wednesday at just 90 points shy of the record close of 6930.2 it reached during the 1999 dotcom boom.

Fri May 24, 2013 7:05am EDT. For other related diaries, please see; DIARY - U.S. Federal Reserve DIARY - Polling Unit Diary DIARY - Key World Financial Events DIARY - Political and General news DIARY - Index of all Diaries DIARY - G7 Economic ...

The UK's blue chips could not stop the rot on Friday as the Footsie kept tumbling ahead of a three-day break from trading in London.

Mortgage approvals edged up in April, with banks expecting to sign off more loans to would-be homeowners as schemes to help first-time buyers take root.

BRUSSELS--Europe must create a single resolution mechanism backed by a common pool of money to help wind down struggling banks, European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio said Friday.

British private equity investor 3i Group has made an offer to buy Barclays' European infrastructure fund management unit, as it seeks to boost assets under management.

Today the Energy Secretary gave his permission for a new 504MW offshore wind farm near the Sizewell nuclear plant on the Suffolk coast.

By Michael Northcott Friday, 24 May 2013. The UK's largest retailer has written a cheque for a massive �3m to just two outgoing directors, even though the management team all missed out on their bonus.