UK Business News

Heritage axes Genel deal in $1.5bn Ugandan sale

UK oil business will sell its fields in the East African country to Italy's Eni and pay a special dividend of up to 100p

Northumbrian falters ahead of Ofwat ruling

Water group says industrial closures have squeezed profitability and its prospects depend on regulator's price ruling

• Thames ready for legal challenge to Ofwat

• Water bills are next in line for a big rise

Nestlé joins queue of buyers for Cadbury

Kraft has said it would consider raising its bid if a rival offer from the likes of Nestlé were to emerge

Business confidence at six-year high, poll finds

More organisations have hopeful outlook, reinforcing expectation that recession is waning, despite weak GDP and lending

World Business News

Campbell soups up profits on cost cutting

American food giant offsets falling sales by trimming expenses to increase margins during the first quarter

America dreams of flat Christmas on Main Street

Early indications are that Christmas sales will be flat, up or down by one or two percentage points, on Black Friday

• Americans get together in hunt for bargains

• Plunging profits pop Wall Street's bubble

EADS executives try to overturn ruling

Seventeen present and former EADS executives are to be questioned but there are claims evidence has been overlooked

• EADS profits down as recession hits prices

• Ex-EADS chief detained over insider trading

RBS dumping toxic assets on Ireland

Hester stirs diplomatic row by using EU rules to force Dublin into accepting £7bn bad loans

Analysis

Globetrotting puts figures into perspective

One constant surprise for me is the emotional state of the discussions I encounter about the health of the UK economy

Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too

Even if the science was reliable (which it isn’t), we should not force the world’s poorest countries to cut carbon emissions

Small is beautiful for those recreating former glories

Woolworths’s successors are determined to keep things traditional, with 'more tinsel and fewer complicated high-tech gadgets'

Law  

Lack of M&A business cuts Linklaters' revenue

Income at Britain’s second-biggest law firm has fallen by nearly 10 per cent to £591m in the six months to October 31

Straw pledges action to end libel tourism

Justice secretary says the large legal fees involved in defamation cases in English courts are jeopardising freedom of speech

• Think tank: The way to publish and not be damned

• Libel tourists flock to 'easy' UK courts

Legal profession set for historic reforms

In a landmark decision before a packed meeting, the barristers' profession ditched 800 years of working practices

• Braced for the big bang with the arrival of Tesco law

• Fitness test probes strength of new law firms

Money  

Be brave and buy the dollar

There is now only one trade in town - sell the ailing dollar and buy gold - but investors could fare well by going against the grain

• Don’t blow a bonus to join the property surge

• Have you missed the market rally?

Do the new living wills really bring peace of mind?

Solicitors claim that the new forms are simpler and cheaper, but mistakes can be costly

• Living wills give new rights to dementia victims

• How to make a will

Mortgages: a guide to the cheapest rates

Beleaguered brokers are staging a comeback with best-buy deals

business travel  

Bmi revamps Diamond Club frequent flyer scheme

Airline adds family membership and unveils new rules for complimentary upgrades

Finnair launches mobile check-in and boarding passes

Passengers will now be able to proceed straight to the gate if they only have hand luggage

Manchester airport wants sky-high bar

Airport seeks partner to redevelop terminal 1 control tower into a cool drinking den with views of the runway