UNITED KINGDOM

Hardly anyone expects the Bank of England to raise interest rates this week but markets are still on heightened alert after the central bank caught them on the hop with a quarter point hike in August.

ASDA said it would pay workers under the age of 18 at the same rate as adult staff following new EU rules on age discrimination.

Tuesday's collapse in wholesale gas prices, as a huge inflow through a new pipeline from Norway forced suppliers to pay to get rid of it, does not mean Britons will be spending less to keep warm this winter.

Europe's private bank clients are raising exposure to alternative assets like hedge funds, determined to grow their wealth by spreading risks

The FTSE edged up on Wednesday, led by sugar and sweetener maker Tate & Lyle and banking consolidation talk, but miners and oils limited gains as some commodity prices fell.

BP today announced its trading update for the third quarter ending 30th September 2006.

Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd, a Chinese leading gold and base metal producer, announced it will buy the new shares and warrants of England and Wales's resource company......

John Lewis Partnership today announced the launch of Greenbee, a new direct services company, which will offer financial, travel and leisure services.

Transport and warehouse firm Christian Salvesen said on Tuesday it had grown revenues by about 7 percent in the six months to September 30, but some of its markets remained tough.

Ceramic tile and wood flooring company Topps Tiles said on Tuesday it expected slightly lower underlying profit and sales for the year ended September

Energy network operator National Grid said on Tuesday it expected to deliver strong growth in first half pretax profit and earnings.

Britain on Tuesday was left with more gas than it knew what to do with as extra supplies pumped through a new pipeline from Norway flooded Europe's biggest market and wholesale prices fell below zero.

Great Portland Estates said it was in talks to buy London Merchant Securities, which would form the country's sixth biggest listed property company with a speciality in office property.

Powerleague Group, then operator of five a side football centres, is searching for a financial partner to help expand into Europe

Companies may pay women less than their male colleagues if their length of service is shorter because of taking time off to look after children

Severn Trent said on Tuesday trading during the six months to end September was consistent with its expectations for the full year.

Tesco topped analysts' average forecast with a 12.5 percent rise in underlying first half profit on Tuesday and said its plans to expand in non food and the United States were on track.

India's Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry received a serious jolt when a TV channel promised to telecast the issue of growing concern over vulnerability of data security in BPOs and call-centers in India.

The Walt Disney Co. will spend about $30 million to shut down its Mobile ESPN wireless telephone services, but remains excited about its family-oriented Disney Mobile phone service, Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said on Monday.

Barclays said on Monday it had agreed to sell part of its vendor finance businesses in Britain and Germany to U.S. commercial finance firm CIT for an undisclosed price.

Flows of Norwegian gas through the new Langeled pipeline to Britain could exceed 40 million cubic metres one day this week, an industry source said on Monday.