UK Business News

Sales of Sony Ericsson’s Saito suspended

Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U suspend sales of the Saito after a high number of customers returned the handset

Cosmens raise stake in National Express

Rebel shareholder increases its stake in the transport group to 19.46% ahead of a rights issue vote on Friday

• National Express fundraising will test shareholder democracy

• Bus giant investors woo former boss

Kroenke moves closer to obligatory Arsenal takeover

American mogul increases stake to 29.9 per cent, just short of the threshold which would trigger obligatory takeover

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

World Business News

GM warned against state 'subsidy race'

Brussels tells GM it will not tolerate EU member states competing to offer generous state aid in return for safeguarding jobs

Campbell soups up profits on cost cutting

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

• US dreams of a flat Christmas on Main Street

• US stocks bounce on retail growth

US stocks jump on home sales data

A 10% rise in US house sales cheered investors while in the UK Cadbury shares peaked following takeover battle speculation

• US to follow car scrappage with boost for white goods

• US homes sales at 5-year low

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

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  

Heathrow's terminal 2 closes after 54 years

The old Europa Building will be demolished to make way for a 30 million passenger a year mega-terminal

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