News

<a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/"><b>Economics</b></a>
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<b>Retail sales</b> Britons are expected to spend £9.1 billion on shopping and
entertainment over the Easter weekend, some 14 per cent less than last year
when they splashed out £10.6 billion, according to the Centre for Economics
and Business Research. “The combination of bad economic news and bad weather
is unlikely to be the best background for spending,” the CEBR said. <br/>
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<a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/"><b>Banking
& finance</b></a><br/>
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<b>Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers</b>’ profits could deteriorate
significantly this year if the turmoil sweeping the capital markets
persists, according to Standard & Poor’s, the credit rating agency.