'Banks urged to lend small firms EU cash'

Chancellor Alistair Darling has called on British banks to take advantage of up to £4 billion worth of new European cash to give small businesses access to credit they need to get through the current economic crisis. The money is Britain's share of a £24 billion Europe-wide emergency help package of loans on offer from the European Investment Bank - The Guardian​

Women who drink alcohol occasionally during pregnancy do not harm their unborn babies - in fact their children may even benefit, a large study suggests. Research involving more than 12,000 children showed that mothers who drank lightly during pregnancy - defined as one to two units, or a single drink a week - did not increase the risk of having babies with mental impairment or behavioural problems - The Times​

A "predicted explosion" in the number of 24-hour drinking venues has not materialised, the government says. There has been a 14 per cent annual rise in the number of licences issued in England and Wales, totalling about 800 in the year to April, statistics show. But ministers say supermarkets and hotels made up 81 per cent of the 6,300 premises with 24-hour licences - BBC News​

The Whitehouse pub in Liverpool is on the market for £495,000, but experts reckon it could be worth £1million because of a painting on its wall. Bristol-born Banksy daubed a giant machine gun-toting rat on the listed building in 2004. Urban art specialist Amber Tan said the pub would easily fetch a million at auction, adding: "This is Britain's biggest Banksy, painted while he was still relatively unknown and the value reflects its size." - Daily Mirror​