UK Business News

Cadbury to slam Kraft’s ‘cheap’ bid

The confectionery giant's chairman, Roger Carr, will issue a caustic rebuttal to the American food group tomorrow

Phone giants Vodafone and BT eye more cuts

Alongside half-year results, the companies are expected to increase savings targets from £1bn and 'well over' £1bn respectively

• Orange gains in mobiles, loses in broadband

• Vodafone comes in from cold with iPhone deal

Strike ballot for British Airways crew

Insiders think BA is likely to try to stop any strikes by going to the courts, a tactic it has employed successfully in the past

• BA to cut tenth of jobs after disastrous summer

• Troubled BA faces record interim loss

Aurum Holdings agree debt swap

The deal will provide greater working capital flexibility and pave the way for new store openings and online expansion

World Business News

Anglo recruits banking grandee

The appointment of Sir Philip Hampton, chairman of RBS, is the latest in a series of senior changes at the mining group

China targets US cars in dumping probe

Tit-for-tat trade row between the two economic giants deepens after America imposes large tariffs on steel pipes

• China slows falling trade in recovery hope

• Tyres trade row erupts between US and China

Berkshire Hathaway turns $3.2bn profit

The profit was triple the $1.06 billion, or $682 per Class A equivalent share, reported by the company a year earlier

• Buffett bets big on America in $44bn rail deal

• Should you invest like Warren Buffett?

US unemployment highest for 26 years

The data is being watched closely as economists ponder whether America can sustain recovery without government stimuli

Analysis

Listen to the bosses’ optimism

When three chief executives call an end to the recession — even though it has not officially ended — we should take heart

Are the central banks blowing new bubbles?

The combination of near-zero rates, a weak dollar and the willingness of the authorities to support every market in sight is dangerous

Is private equity brave enough?

The leveraged buyout almost disappeared in 2008 as the banks crumbled, but where are these bottom-fishers today?

Law  

Setback for Lehman creditors as court blocks PwC plan

Court of Appeal says radical plan designed to speed up the Lehman Brothers administration is unacceptable under UK insolvency law

Former MEP facing jail for £30,000 expenses fraud

Tom Wise admitted spending his secretarial expenses allowance on a new car and fine wines while with Ukip

Potential judges can keep Freemasonry secret

Jack Straw reverses the policy that he introduced in 1998 after a human rights ruling and the threat of legal action

Money  

Northern Rock ‘bad bank’ will trap borrowers

Customers transferred to the bad bank will be unable to remortgage elsewhere

• Northern Rock woos the bonus brigade

• Northern Rock in 'aggressive' mortgage drive

House prices go up again, but fears grow that economy cannot sustain rise

House prices are now 7.1 per cent higher than they were six months ago and 2.9 per cent higher than in December last year

• Lessons to learn from revitalised economies

• House prices record first rise in 19 months

Taxman hits YouTube to root out offshore ‘fiddlers’

HMRC turns to social media with two-minute video to advertise campaign to ensure that savers declare offshore accounts

business travel  

The world's oddest airport lounges

Lounges for dogs and children sound bizarre but not as odd as Finnair's new facility

SkyTeam, Alitalia open new terminal facilities

Alliance gets common check-in at Heathrow while Italian carrier gets a dedicated terminal in Rome

10 rules of business travel etiquette

Business travellers forced to fly in economy might need to be re-educated in acceptable on-board behaviour

• Business airfares to rise in 2010

• Profile: Luxury car boss Clive Sutton