NEW YORK SHARES

NEW YORK - As if to underscore the daunting financial mess confronting President Barack Obama , a fresh plunge in banking stocks Tuesday dragged the stock market to its worst loss of the new year. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled more than in New York Shares News

Mortgage lending by banks and building societies plunged by 47 per cent in December to reach a record low. Gross mortgage lending fell to £12.6 billion in December, down 11 per cent from £14.2 billion in November and 47 per cent from December 2007 in New York Shares News

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- U.K. businesses increasingly report a decline in exports, despite the continued rapid depreciation in sterling's exchange rate, the Bank of England's regional agents said Wednesday. In their monthly report back to London, the BOE in New York Shares News

LONDON (Dow Jones)--U.K. mortgage lending slumped to an almost eight-year low in December while lending through the whole of 2008 was 30% less than in 2007, data showed Wednesday. The Council of Mortgage Lenders reported gross mortgage lending was in New York Shares News

New worries about bank stocks pulled the market lower yesterday, with the Dow Jones industrial average finishing below 8,000 and nearly completing a wipeout of the year-end rally. Bank stocks tumbled on news of higher losses, fears that government in New York Shares News

South African stocks fell more than 300 points in early trade due to sharply weaker Asian markets and hefty losses on Wall Street overnight. By 09:14, the JSE all share index had lost 1.67%, with resources falling 1.86% and platinum counters shedding in New York Shares News

ROME -(Dow Jones)- Telecom Italia SpA (TI) considers its free-to-air TV channel La7 a useful tool to dialogue with broadcasters and wants to retain it, Chief Executive Franco Bernabe said Wednesday. "We don't have the vocation to be broadcasters, but in New York Shares News