Banks under the cosh as £1 tumbles towards €1

December 11, 2008 BUSINESS BULLETIN Dear Reader Visit Times Online today for dynamic business news and views, market charts and sector analysis, plus your chance to comment. Also you can now download our series of free podcasts exploring the business ideas that are changing the world at www.timesonline.co.uk/businessideas Today's top stories Banks under the cosh as £1 tumbles towards €1 Ministers pressure banks to increase lending while the Bank of England looks into a crisis strategy of buying-up bad debts BBC merger plan to prevent C4 from going bust Channel 4 deal being discussed by regulators and ministers would see it joined with the the profitable BBC Worldwide Woolworths starts closing-down sales The retailer will begin a clearance sale across its 813 stores after the administrator Deloitte failed to find a buyer Blanchflower steps down from Bank's MPC David Blanchflower, the arch-dove who has voted to cut interest rates every month since October last year, is to move on OTHER HEADLINES Analysis Spend and recoup it in energy taxes Why taxing petrol more fiercely could plug the budget black hole and help the car industry too Markets Tempus: Carillion ... CoA ... Clapham House Carillion to build on McAlpine acquisition ... Reasons to be wary of Coal of Africa ... Clapham House is now trading robustly Nissan closure ... Starbucks sale ... Vodafone perks Need to know: comprehensive news coverage sector by sector Business Finance Compare business insurance, commercial mortgage & loan rates online IFA Search Find specialist business IFAs Business City Guides Overseas information Job hunting? Top executive positions Business Travel Latest news Legal Advice Search for corporate legal specialists If you no longer wish to receive the Business Bulletin, please click here to unsubscribe. If you wish to speak to a Customer Services Representative, please call 020 7860 1133. You have received this e-mail from a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia Street, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International Group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69 Times Newspapers Ltd is a member of the Direct Marketing Association and registered under the Data Protection Act 1998. To see our privacy policy, click here.