Renault and its Nissan Motor affiliate aim to take equal shares in a stake of up to 20 per cent in General Motors, according to Japan’s news agency Kyodo News. The deal would create a three-way alliance, building on the Renault-Nissan relationship. Renault owns 44.4 per cent of Nissan, which in turn owns 15 per cent of the French carmaker.

Deutsche Bank up for acquisitions

Deutsche Bank is interested in new acquisitions after buying Berliner Bank for €680.5 million (£470 million), its chief executive, Josef Ackermann, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung yesterday. Although the bank has no immediate plans to buy another bank in Germany, Herr Ackermann said Deutsche could become keen if the local market consolidates.

FilmFour to relaunch as free service

Channel 4’s film channel, FilmFour, will relaunch as a free service at 9pm on July 23, the broadcaster confirmed. FilmFour will be available on Freeview and free satellite, and debuts with the free-to-air premiere of Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning film Lost in Translation, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

BA holds back from buying aircraft

British Airways is delaying any major aircraft purchases until it reaches its profit margin goals, the carrier’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, told Welt am Sonntag. “Before we expand we have to be confident that we can achieve an operating profit margin of 10 per cent,” Mr Walsh said. Last year BA’s margin was 8.3 per cent. The airline aims to hit 10 per cent by March 2008.