The collapse of the Christmas savings club Farepak has had an impact on the image of British business, the leader of the CBI said today.

The British government today revealed new plans to stop any gays or lesbians being turned away from hotels or denied house tenancies in the North.

The British government faced demands today to call in the police to probe a financial scandal in the North involving public funds and claims of insider trading.

Hundreds of thousands of fathers were given a huge boost today when the British government confirmed plans to give them up to six months’ paternity leave.

OIL and gas exploration firm Tullow Oil has started production at the Horne and Wren North Sea gas field, the London and Dublin quoted oil and gas group, said yesterday.

Britain's TUC union today published a pamphlet setting out the case for a limit on the working week, ahead of an EU meeting on Thursday at which the British government will argue to keep the UK's opt-out from the European 48-hour maximum.

NEGOTIATIONS to revive a rescue package for MG Rover are continuing as administrators continue to scrutinise the stricken company’s books.

Thousands of workers at car giant MG Rover are waiting for news today about crucial talks on a joint venture with a proposed Chinese partner after the revelation that the negotiations had “stalled”.

Aerospace and defence group BAE Systems today denied it had any plans to sell its stake in European aircraft giant Airbus.

Mark Staniforth

Getting rid of “career sexism” is vital to closing the pay gap between men and women, British Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt will warn today.

A total of 371 British firms were wound up in court last year due to representations made by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), a report showed today.

The ISEQ index got over its early morning jitters today to close the day at 5,315.29, up 1.28, although Elan shares slipped more than 4.5%.

The ISEQ index was down 25 points to 5288.93 in early morning trade.

British defence and aerospace group BAE Systems tonight launched a multi-million takeover battle for tank maker Alvis.

IRELAND is seriously trailing Britain when it comes to investment in communications infrastructure, Esat BT chief executive Bill Murphy warned yesterday.

Government talks will be held in the UK today on the increasing rise in oil prices as the threat of a repeat of the 2000 fuel blockages looms.

Oil prices continued to rise today, edging even closer to the record high set in the lead-up to the last Gulf War.

Call centres in the UK will recruit an extra 200,000 workers over the next three years, taking employment levels over a million, an official report predicted today.

Suggestions that the Royal Mail could be privatised were today dismissed by the British government.

Ireland's top five public companies created significantly more wealth in 2003 than in the previous 12 months.

The timescale to finish decommissioning the Dounreay nuclear plant in Scotland has been brought forward by 13 years, its operator announced today.

There was further evidence of a slow-down in the British construction sector today, as official government figures showed orders sliding 12% in the three months to end-January compared with the same period a year ago.

More than half of Britain's leading manufacturing firms expect to cut jobs this year, offering “bleak” prospects for workers, a new report revealed today.

INDEPENDENT News & Media is to sell its regional newspapers in Britain for 88.7 million.

Independent News and Media has sold 23 of its London regional newspaper operations to Archant Regional Limited for £62.0m (€88.7m).

US-owned newspaper publisher Newsquest has been barred from buying 10 titles from the Dublin-based Independent News & Media stable.

Shares in IWP remained static at 32c after its new CEO stated that the company was ‘not for sale’.

The UK government’s verdict on the battle for supermarket chain Safeway failed to halt a slide in London’s leading shares today.

Troubled nuclear power group British Energy today said it had agreed to sell its 50% stake in AmerGen Energy for £174m (€247.7m).

AN oil exploration group was yesterday celebrating what it described as probably the most significant onshore discovery of oil in Britain for two decades.

SUPERMARKET chain Asda has dismissed reports that its attempt to bid for takeover target Safeway could be in jeopardy.

SPECULATION was mounting yesterday that the British Government will offer an emergency rescue package to struggling nuclear giant British Energy this week.

Troubled nuclear power group British Energy today confirmed it was continuing talks with British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) to operate the firm’s Magnox reactors.

OPPOSITION in Britain to ditching the pound in favour of the euro has risen despite the growing number of Britons who have now used euro notes and coins while travelling abroad, a new survey showed yesterday.

UK pay deals are running ahead of the inflation rate, with recent settlements worth between 2.5% and 4%, a new report showed today.

Anti-nuclear campaigners have welcomed reports Dounreay is to cease being classed as a nuclear reprocessing plant.

Holidaymakers were today urged to check their travel insurance after it emerged that policies had been issued under the name of Lloyd’s of London without its authority.

The controversy over the Countess of Wessex has taken a new twist with a Government minister saying the Royal Family are "a bit bonkers".

Tony Blair is set to announce £120m of loans to bolster the British tourist industry and the rural economy after the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

An official report says Kevin Maxwell, the son of Robert Maxwell, bears a heavy responsibility of the collapse of the family's business empire.

The long-awaited official report into the collapse of Robert Maxwell's business empire is expected to be published today.