U.K. mortgage approvals declined unexpectedly to 32,288 in January from 33,440 in the prior month, the British Bankers' Association said Monday. It was forecast to rise to 34,000. At the same time, gross mortgage borrowing of GBP 7.7 billion in January was above the recent monthly average. Consumer demand for loans and overdrafts remained relatively weak and the repayment of unsecured personal loans continued to outweigh new borrowing, the report showed. "January's severe weather impacted adversely on what was already a subdued picture of borrowing demand from households and businesses," BBA statistics director, ... (full story)