BANK Kerjasama Rakyat Bhd expects to grow its Aslah personal loans by a tenth this year as it has raised the maximum limit and lengthened the repayment period. More: Bank Rakyat: Personal loans sector will remain strong (Business Times (Malaysia))

An industry association revised downward its December reading on expansion in business activity in the U.S. Midwest on Thursday and said employment in the region failed to enter growth territory as it originally reported. See the rest here: U.S. Midwest business growth less robust than thought (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

GREAT Harwood Town Hall could be sold to a council partner to pave the way for its transformation into a business and enterprise hub. Continued here: Great Harwood Town Hall could become business hub (Lancashire Telegraph)

ATLANTA—-The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses affected by severe storms and tornadoes that occurred April 10 – 11, 2009 that January 29 is the filing deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. See more here: January 29 is Deadline to Apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

SOMERVILLE — Members of the Somerville Business & Professional Association have elected jeweler Paul Sanford president and re-elected electrician Paul Hockenbury vice president and Beneath It All owner Lorraine Sarra secretary/treasurer for 2010. See the article here: Somerville Business & Professional Association elects jeweler Paul Sanford president (The Somerset Reporter)

Shareholders of Marvel Entertainment, home of Spider-Man and the Hulk, have approved the company’s acquisition by Disney, as expected. Follow this link: Disney Marvel Entertainment acquisition (Sky News Australia)