UNITED KINGDOM

Drax Group Plc, which owns Europe's largest coal fired power station, said on Tuesday its first half earnings had more than tripled

Nationwide, the world's biggest building society, is set to merge with rival Portman

Motorists who unwittingly buy poorly maintained second hand cars are paying out 238 million pounds a year to have their new purchases fixed

Northern Irish broadcaster Ulster Television Plc, which has been in merger talks with Scottish based media company SMG Plc, said it had outperformed rivals during its first half.

After a barrage of lawsuits accusing it of overcharging customers, H&R Block Inc. on Thursday said it will slash fees on loans to people waiting for tax refunds.

Housebuilder Bovis Homes Group Plc reported an 18 percent rise in first half profit on Monday and kept its expectations for the year unchanged

Mobile phone operator Vodafone Group Plc confirmed on Monday its plan to enter the cut throat fixed line broadband Internet market

OPEC member Algeria unveiled long-awaited amendments to a reform of its hydrocarbon sector on Saturday that limit foreign participation in exploration and production and impose a windfall tax on surplus profits.

A series of scandals at oil giant BP Plc's U.S. operations, has shaken investors' faith in its head John Browne and prompted some to re-examine the record of a man often rated among the world's most respected CEOs.

Pension schemes were given an extra two months to comply with new age discrimination rules on Friday after the industry and employers voiced concerns over the timetable for implementation.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), Britain's competition watchdog, has been heavily criticised by an appeals tribunal for a ban it imposed on the London Metal Exchange extending trading hours.

Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said on Friday that G7 financial heads would discuss exchange rates when they meet in Singapore on September 16, but he declined to say if the yen would be at the center of those talks.

Laundry and clothing services firm Davis Service Group Plc said on Friday it expected first half trading conditions to continue into the second half

The Office of Fair Trading will look at bank charges for customers who overdraw their accounts after winding up a months long probe into penalties for the late payment of credit card bills.

Pubs operator JD Wetherspoon reported a 24 percent boost in profit on Friday for a year during which it has experimented with restricting smoking ahead of a national ban.

Investments in offgrid energy generation projects are the quickest way to get electricity to the 1.6 billion people in the world without lights, a World Bank official said on Wednesday.

The pound has fallen on uncertainty about Tony Blair's remaining tenure as British prime minister but any longer-term impact on UK assets should be short-lived if finance minister Gordon Brown replaces him.

Carphone Warehouse has been fined 245,000 pounds over failings in its sales of mobile insurance over the telephone.

Britain's FTSE 100 fell on Thursday with Partygaming leading the losers after Sportingbet's chairman was detained by U.S. authorities

Overseas property investors should be wary of Bulgaria as market growth collapses and rental competition hots up

A third of financial advisers are breaking City watchdog rules designed to protect consumers, a survey by consumer organisation Which? showed on Thursday.