British lenders approved the greatest number of mortgages in two years during July, adding to signs the housing market has stabilised from its pre-Brexit slowdown, official data showed on Friday. The Bank of England said lenders approved 67,306 mortgages, up from 66,506 in June and more than any economist predicted in a Reuters poll that had pointed to 66,167 approvals for July. Britain's housing market has sagged since the 2016 Brexit referendum - especially i

The European Central Bank kept policy unchanged as expected on Thursday, staying on track to end bond purchases this year and raise interest rates next autumn, even as protectionist moves around the globe drag on growth.

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - British industrial output barely rose in March, confirming a glum first quarter for the economy that looks likely to scupper a Bank of England interest rate hike later on Thursday. The data, released along with figures for the construction industry and overseas trade, did nothing to alter the picture of an economy that has struggled for momentum in recent months. While heavy snow storms swept thr

British retail sales recorded their biggest quarterly fall in a year during the three months to March, after unusually cold and snowy weather kept shoppers at home. Retail sales volumes in March were 1.2 percent lower than the month before as a period of unseasonal snow and cold weather dubbed 'The Beast from the East' kept shoppers at home, a bigger fall than economists had expected in a Reuters poll. For the first quarter as a whole, sales volumes dropped b

Telecom Italia said on Tuesday its statutory auditors had unanimously decided to supplement the agenda of an April 24 shareholder meeting with a motion proposed by activist fund Elliott to replace six board members.

(This Oct. 18 story corrects age in paragraph 19 to five, not six)

The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday said it had made final determinations that hardwood plywood from China was being subsidized and dumped in U.S. markets, and it set an anti-dumping duty of 183.6 percent and anti-subsidy duties ranging up to 194.9 percent.

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it had made a preliminary determination that Chinese and Vietnamese countries had dumped tool chests and cabinets in the U.S. market.

The bill for compensating families of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London may be as low as 4 million pounds ($5 million), according to several lawyers and a Reuters analysis of how damages laws apply in England.

(In this version of the story the Sheriff's office corrects the suspect's first name to Arron, not Aaron in paragraph 2, and corrects victim Staci Jackson's age to 25, not 28, in paragraph 4)