Law and business: commercial news round-up 11.10.13

This is it, week five of our commercial awareness news digest. Check out this handful of big business stories that piqued our interest - as they should yours - from the broadsheets this week:

• The CBI reported that business confidence was at a 17-year high among banks and financial companies.
• In other cheering news, the proportion of women on FTSE 100 company boards has risen to 19% - not yet a reflection of the fact they make up 50% of the population, but a move in the right direction.
• The Economist published another of its excellent school briefings, this time on how to make banks safer, but not stop them from wanting to lend altogether.
• Obama nominated Janet Yellen as head of the US Reserve Bank, where she has been vice-chair for the past two years. If approved by the Senate, she will be the first woman to hold the position.
• Royal Mail shares get off to a flying start; prices soar by 35% on first day of trading. However, government is accused of "massively shortchanging taxpayers".

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