A Saudi Arabian family, estimated to be worth $3bn, has bought the Piaget store on Old Bond Street in yet another record deal on London's exclusive shopping street.

Q. ING Direct closed my account at my request, but transferred the funds – almost £90,000 – to the wrong account. It admits this, and that it was their error, but says it cannot reimburse me until it locates the missing funds. It has even suggested that I should track down the funds myself – and that this would be quicker. GF, London.

It just so happens that Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have been asked to fire the starting gun to get the 30th edition of the Bupa Great North Run underway in Newcastle tomorrow morning.

Storm clouds gathered on Britain's high street today after a shock fall in retail sales and a slew of pessimistic comments from major players.

Bank of England policymakers considered further action to boost the economy this month amid concerns over tightening credit conditions and a slowdown in the UK recovery, it emerged today.

Most banks fail to tell savers about changes to the interest they are earning on their cash, it was claimed yesterday.

Britain's borrowing ballooned by another £12.4 billion last month, but tax receipts rose year on year as the economic recovery gathered pace, official figures revealed today.

The pound was punished today amid worries that plans to slash the UK's soaring deficit could be delayed by political uncertainty.

"For ****'s sake, ****ing VICTIMS, don't you ****ing under****ingstand what the House of ****-Commons is? Ach, you don't know ANYTHING YOU ****S!"

Analysts have voiced fears about further revenue slides at Diageo, which owns brands from Guinness to Baileys, when the world's largest drinks company reports first-half results on Thursday.

Government borrowing rose to £20.3bn during November, a new monthly record, official figures revealed yesterday. However, economists said that public sector net borrowing had actually been slightly better than expected, with tax receipts higher than analysts had predicted.

British Bankers' Association chief executive Angela Knight was on her usual combative form yesterday over plans for a tax on bankers' bonuses. Does she get a bonus for spinning on behalf of the most unpopular people in the world? Difficult to know, since the BBA's own annual report includes not a single word on what staff at the organisation are paid.