LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) – A former UBS
trader accused of unauthorised dealing that cost the Swiss bank
$2.3 billion will spend Christmas in prison after being given
more time on Tuesday to consider his plea.

Kweku Adoboli, 31, who worked as a director of exchange
traded funds, had been expected to enter pleas over two charges
of fraud and two of false accounting when he appeared at
London’s Southwark Crown Court.

LONDON (Reuters) – Record exports helped narrow Britain’s trade deficit at its fastest pace since records began in October, but euro zone turmoil and weak demand at home continue to pose the biggest threat to an economic recovery.

Coupled with benign factory gate price data, Friday’s figures did not alter expectations the Bank of England will have to inject more stimulus to support growth as the euro zone debt crisis threatens to help push the UK back into recession.

LONDON (Reuters) – British recruitment firms said the number of people placed in permanent jobs fell at the fastest pace since 2009 in November, highlighting the pressures on the economy at a time of public spending cuts and worries about the euro zone.

A survey for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and accountants KPMG showed on Wednesday that private sector job creation slowed to a 25-month low, undermining government hopes that it will pick up the slack from public job losses.

LONDON (Reuters) – British recruitment firms said the number of people placed in permanent jobs fell at the fastest pace since 2009 in November, highlighting the pressures on the economy at a time of public spending cuts and worries about the euro zone.

A survey for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and accountants KPMG showed on Wednesday that private sector job creation slowed to a 25-month low, undermining government hopes that it will pick up the slack from public job losses.

LONDON (Reuters) – British manufacturers report that output is growing at its weakest pace in nearly two years and expect it to stagnate early next year, held back by worries about the euro zone and weak demand at home, a survey showed on Monday.

The EEF, the main trade body for UK manufacturers, cuts its 2012 growth forecast for the sector to 0.9 percent from 2.2 percent in September, blaming strong headwinds from the global economy.

LONDON (Reuters) – British manufacturers report that output is growing at its weakest pace in nearly two years and expect it to stagnate early next year, held back by worries about the euro zone and weak demand at home, a survey showed on Monday.

The EEF, the main trade body for UK manufacturers, cuts its 2012 growth forecast for the sector to 0.9 percent from 2.2 percent in September, blaming strong headwinds from the global economy.

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) – British manufacturers report
that output is growing at its weakest pace in nearly two years
and expect it to stagnate early next year, held back by worries
about the euro zone and weak demand at home, a survey showed on
Monday.

The EEF, the main trade body for UK manufacturers, cuts its
2012 growth forecast for the sector to 0.9 percent from 2.2
percent in September, blaming strong headwinds from the global
economy.

LONDON (Reuters) – Bank of England policymakers’ warnings about the risks facing the economy from the euro zone and weak consumption at home have fuelled talk they will expand their asset purchase programme once the latest round ends in February.

Many economists say the Monetary Policy Committee members’ downbeat tone means a further expansion of the bank’s gilt-buying scheme is now just a question of timing.

LONDON (Reuters) – Gilt futures fell for a second day on Thursday as their safe-haven status dimmed after the ECB signalled stronger action to solve Europe’s debt crisis and global central banks announced emergency measures to bolster the financial system.

Strategists said a modest rise in the appetite for riskier assets helped to lift leading British shares by 0.50 percent and eroded the appeal of UK government debt.

LONDON (Reuters) – Gilt prices leapt and benchmark yields fell to trade 9 basis points below Germany’s on Tuesday, a 2-1/2 year low, despite widespread expectations that Britain will announce significantly higher borrowing needs for the coming years.

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to say in his autumn budget statement to parliament that he will have to borrow tens of billion pounds more than he expected eight months ago due to worsening UK growth prospects.