BBC News - Business

The latest stories from the Business section of the BBC News web site.

Rise in number of fake £1 coins

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:33:37 +0000

Nearly two million counterfeit £1 coins were returned to the Royal Mint in the last financial year, figures show.

London 2012 eyes business backing

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:40:32 +0000

Small and medium-sized firms are asked to help raise funds for the British 2012 Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Citigroup agrees $75m fraud fine

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:59:05 +0000

Banking giant Citigroup agrees to pay $75m to settle civil charges that it misled investors over potential losses from subprime mortgages.

Super-jet setters

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:53:19 +0000

Russian planemakers eye global markets

Extent of Barcelona debt revealed

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:49:43 +0000

A new audit into Barcelona's finances reveals the club's debt is 442m euros (£369.5m) after a loss of more than 77m euros (£64.36m) last season.

New face

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:26:04 +0000

Can the new Metro Bank really shake up High Street banking?

Warning on local council pensions

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:01:06 +0000

Council workers across England face having to retire later or pay more into their pension scheme, the public spending watchdog warns.

BSkyB profits on high definition

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:17:31 +0000

Satellite TV group BSkyB reports a sharp jump in profits, driven by new subscriptions, particularly for high definition services.

Cameron launches India trade push

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:41:59 +0000

David Cameron begins a two-day visit to India with the aim of strengthening relations and creating jobs back in Britain.

Fugitive tycoon Nadir seeks bail

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:04:07 +0000

Fugitive Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir, who fled to northern Cyprus in 1993, begins a legal bid to be granted bail ahead of a UK theft trial.

Scottish review warns of job cuts

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:49:37 +0000

Up to 60,000 people working in the public sector in Scotland could lose their jobs, according to an independent review commissioned by ministers.

Aldi's 'elusive' billionaire co-founder dies

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:07:01 +0000

The billionaire co-founder of budget supermarket Aldi, Theo Albrecht dies, aged 88.

Filling the gap

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:53:26 +0000

Why British businesses still need immigrant workers

P&G in London 2012 Olympics deal

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:48:54 +0000

Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble becomes the 11th big firm to sign an Olympics sponsorship deal covering London 2012.

Hit by sanctions

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:59:29 +0000

Black market boom as Dubai curbs trade with Iran

China agrees Guinea mining deal

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Mining giant Rio Tinto completes a deal with Chinese firm Chalco to enter a joint venture in West Africa.

House price inflation eases again

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:12:47 +0000

UK house prices fell 0.5% in July, the Nationwide says, cutting the annual rate of house price inflation to 6.6% from 8.7%.

Sony back in profit as TV sales soar

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:10:53 +0000

Japanese electronics giant Sony is back in profit, after large losses in 2009/10.

Toyota announces fresh car recall

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:11:18 +0000

Toyota is recalling almost 430,000 vehicles in the US and Japan amid concern over steering problems.

Green shoots of recovery in Europe?

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:21:49 +0000

A raft of European firms have announced bumper profits, fuelling hopes that the economy is on the right track following the recession.

Landmark ruling on divorce money

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:51:29 +0000

A "ground-breaking" Court of Appeal judgement removes the protection previously given to thousands of people in divorce proceedings.

Industry toasts beer sales rise

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:05:58 +0000

Good weather and football's World Cup is thought to have given a boost to beer sales in the UK, industry figures suggest.

Bright future

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:53:57 +0000

Electric motoring boosted by plug-in subsidy promise

Jailed Enron boss requests bail

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:30:27 +0000

The former chief executive of Enron, Jeffrey Skilling, has applied for bail. His lawyer says his conviction for fraud will be overturned.

Picking up Penguins for 75 years

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:14:02 +0000

A colourful history of the famous book publisher

Oil firms' profits almost double

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:56:19 +0000

Oil giants Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil see profits almost double in the week rival BP suffered record losses.

Pensions timebomb

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:13:55 +0000

Russians fear the benefits system will cease to exist

Where to fight BP oil spill battle?

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:17:01 +0000

As BP's rivals count the cost of a ban on offshore drilling, the tide of lawsuits arising from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has washed up in a federal courtroom in Idaho.

California in 'fiscal emergency'

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:49:33 +0000

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declares a fiscal state of emergency, putting pressure on lawmakers to pass a budget.

'Retirement rules work for employers'

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:25:24 +0000

Plans to scrap the default retirement will 'raise concerns' according to David Yeandle of the Engineering Employers Federation.

House prices 'now at 2006 levels'

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:33:43 +0000

House prices in England and Wales are now at similar levels as seen in the summer of 2006, says the Land Registry.

Beer giant loses fight for Budweiser name

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:40:02 +0000

Global brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev suffers a defeat in a long-running battle over the rights to the Budweiser beer brand.

Results boost AstraZeneca shares

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:37:31 +0000

Shares in AstraZeneca rise more than 3% after the drug company reports a rise in profits after strong sales of key drugs.

New High Street bank opens doors

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:40:50 +0000

The first High Street bank to launch in the UK for more than 100 years opens its doors for the first time.

'Older workers can pass on skills'

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:01:47 +0000

The government is planning to scrap the default retirement age in the UK from October 2011.

Graphic novel finds audience in India

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:07:08 +0000

Graphic novels are finding new markets in India.

Gambling firms reveal merger plan

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:10:10 +0000

The UK's Partygaming and Austrian firm Bwin unveil plans to merge and create the world's largest online gaming business.

FSA tightens bankers' pay rules

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:35:13 +0000

The Financial Services Authority announces plans to update its guidelines on bankers' pay, affecting 2,500 firms.

Tehran's tactics to beat ship sanction

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:25:44 +0000

A look at how Iran's shipping industry stays one step ahead to minimise the impact of international sanction.

Metro Bank's first customers speak

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:06:57 +0000

The first High Street bank to launch in the UK for more than 100 years has opened its first branch in Holborn in London.

Greek police clash with hauliers

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:48:31 +0000

Greek police fire tear gas to disperse hundreds of lorry drivers protesting in Athens against a government order to end their strike.

China allows IMF report release

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:54:51 +0000

China allows the publication of an International Monetary Fund staff report on its economy for the first time since 2006.

Fixed retirement age to be axed

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:59:50 +0000

People reaching the age of 65 will no longer be forced to retire from October next year, under plans announced by the government.

Lufthansa hurt by ash and strike

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:28:32 +0000

Lufthansa Group reports a net loss after disruption caused by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano and a pilots' strike.