Economics / Markets

The FTSE 100 had a strong start to the week, up 0.71% or 39.14 points to 5,547.59, supported by news BP had permanently sealed its Gulf of Mexico oil well.

A drop in consumer sentiment ruined a bright start on the Dow Jones in morning US trading on Friday, the index dropping into the red after an initial 0.35% spurt.

The FTSE 100 climbed 0.8% or 44 points to 5,584 this morning following yesterday's slide on the back of disappointing retail sales figures.

The Competition Commission (CC) and the Office of Fair Trading could merge into a single body.

The pound dropped this morning on the news UK retail sales fell by 0.5% in August, surprising economists who had expected a 0.3% rise.

City banks are being warned by police of a "real and ever-present" threat from the Real IRA.

Mervyn King has accepted the role financial services played in leading the country into recession and admitted policymakers did not do enough to prevent it.

Inflation was unchanged at 3.1% in August, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

There is now a greater likelihood the UK will experience a double dip next year, while it is "almost a certainty" countries such as Greece will slide back into recession, says Invesco Perpetual's Neil Woodford.

Vince Cable has warned banks not to use the new Basel III rules as an excuse for not lending to businesses.