Economics / Markets

The US dollar has sunk to a fresh 15-year low against the yen after the G20 nations pledged to avoid a currency war.

Ed Miliband has called for financial services regulation to be tightened up and a reshaping of the banking sector to encourage small business growth.

Britain's best years are ahead, the Prime Minister told delegates at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), in the wake of the worst financial recesssion since World War II.

David Cameron has announced a "wholesale change in attitude" from the government to encourage business growth and infrastructure investment.

The FTSE 100 rose 0.9% to 5,791.10 in early morning trading as a weaker US dollar provided support for mining stocks.

Business leaders have issued a fresh warning today about Britain's competitiveness, releasing a survey of leading executives which suggests the country is slipping behind its international rivals.

The Government's plans to return Britain to growth have been dealt a major blow as new figures reveal household spending fell in October at its fastest pace since January, while debt levels rose for the first time in nine months.

Legal & General has been forced to publish part of its third-quarter results more than two weeks early after mistakenly sending the figures to analysts.

The FTSE 100 remains marginally in the red this afternoon, with miners dragging on the index.

Asian insurer AIA raised $17.8bn in its long-awaited IPO this morning, valuing the group at $30.5bn.