Staff at hundreds of travel agents could lose their jobs following the creation of a massive £12bn (€17.6bn) UK holiday company.

The FTSE 100 Index edged towards 6100 today as traders were left unmoved by Gordon Brown’s tenth Pre-Budget Report.

SOME of the teething problems encountered with the running of schools that have been built under Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been highlighted in a Department of Education inspection report.

Beleaguered UK engineering firm Jarvis signalled a “dramatic turnaround in fortunes” today as it reported significantly reduced annual losses.

THE Department of Education has given assurances to school management bodies that the delivery of five planned new second-level buildings will not be affected by proposed changes to the ownership of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts.

CRAWFORD College of Art and Design is to undergo a €5.3 million facelift over the next two years despite seeking almost three times that amount from the Government.

UK engineering group Jarvis offered signs of recovery today as it posted operating profits for the first time in two years.

The FTSE 100 Index ended today firmly in the red after a poor opening on Wall Street dragged banking stocks down.

Shares in loss-making UK engineering group Jarvis today fell 15% after the group shocked investors with news of the potential sale of its roads maintenance business.

The London market caught a chill from weaker energy stocks as the FTSE 100 Index fell back today from last night’s 39-month high.

Relief at lower oil prices helped the FTSE 100 Index rack up its fifth consecutive session of gains today.

COMPLEX negotiations on the stalled contract to build the €60 million Cork School of Music could be completed within eight weeks.

TEACHERS at Cork School of Music have told the Government the time is over for excuses about delays in work on their new €60 million facility.

The London market witnessed a further bout of heavy selling today as the FTSE 100 Index continued to lose sight of the 5000 barrier.

Services group Amey will this week celebrate a return to profitability after its new Spanish owners rescued the business from close to collapse.

Falling oil stocks and heavy overnight losses in New York conspired to send the London market lower today.

Engineering group Jarvis today said its finance chief was leaving following the firm’s decision to quit its London headquarters.

Niall Murray, Education Correspondent

London shares closed near to their highest level this year today as investors welcomed falling oil prices and the conclusion of the election in Iraq.

The London market made a strong start to the week today as investors welcomed the completion of the Iraq election and cheered a fall in oil prices.

The London market finished the year on a low note today, but still managed to end 2004 above the key 4,800 barrier.

The FTSE 100 Index hit a fresh 30-month high today as it chalked up gains for the seventh consecutive session.

The FTSE 100 Index looked on course to hit another 30-month high today as it chalked up gains for the seventh consecutive session.

The FTSE 100 Index narrowly missed setting a new 30-month high today before falling back towards its opening mark.

UK support services group Jarvis today posted half-year losses of £283.1m (€400.7m) but said it was winning the battle to avoid bankruptcy.

Troubled UK support services group Jarvis will this week announce half-year losses of more than £250m (€354m), it was reported today.

London shares wrapped up a fifth consecutive session of gains today as the festive fervour showed no signs of slackening.

HOPES have been raised that work could begin soon on the €60 million Cork School of Music with German company Hochtief taking over responsibility for the project from Jarvis, the British company involved in the original deal with the Government.

The twin threat to the British economy of high oil prices and a weak US dollar deterred investors from buying UK stocks today.

A further weakening in the dollar left the London market in downbeat mode today as companies with a strong presence in the United States suffered.

The chairman of engineering firm Jarvis was yesterday accused of presiding over a ’shambles’ as he faced a grilling from shareholders over executive pay and the collapse in the firm’s share price.

British engineering group Jarvis today said the former boss of tennis racket maker Dunlop Slazenger was to become its new chief executive.

Beleaguered engineering firm Jarvis took another step in its restructuring today by agreeing to sell its Private Finance Initiative bidding operations.

CONSTRUCTION on the €60 million Cork School of Music is unlikely to begin this year because of financial uncertainties.

The boss of troubled engineering company Jarvis yesterday said he was stepping down from the firm.

The Government’s spending watchdog has criticised the Department of Education’s handling of a school building project completed under a public-private partnership.

The FTSE 100 Index gave up another 40 points today after a clutch of stocks went ex-dividend and an update from a US tech giant knocked confidence.

A string of stocks going ex-dividend were holding the London market back today - despite signs interest rates may not have to rise by as much as feared.

Crisis-hit engineering group Jarvis, which is involved in a number of Public Private Partnership projects in Ireland, has sold a mobile phone mast company as part of a strategy to dispose of non-core businesses, it announced tonight.

The London market ended the week on a low note after mixed economic news hit shares in New York.

A lacklustre performance by financial stocks dragged the London market into the red today.

Beleaguered engineering group Jarvis unveiled its plans for survival today after securing the support of its lenders for another eight months.

DOUBTS about the financial stability of the British company chosen to design, build and run the proposed €60 million Cork School of Music have been cast aside by the Department of Education and Science.

THE company employed to develop and manage the Cork School of Music is fighting for survival after its share value plunged dramatically yesterday.