New US home starts surge in June
A spurt in the number of new houses under construction in June sparks optimism the US property market is improving.

Cost cuts see Mattel profits jump
Toymaker Mattel reports a big rise in quarterly profits, as cost cutting more than offsets a slump in sales.

General Electric earnings tumble
General Electric's earnings fell 47% to $2.9bn in the second quarter from the same period last year as the slowdown hit.

Top US adviser applauds stimulus
US President Barack Obama's stimulus package is working, says top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers.

BA announces plan to raise £600m
British Airways plans to raise more than £600m to help it weather the recession, the airline has said.

One-time gain bolsters Citigroup
Citigroup and Bank of America report quarterly profits but warn that losses on consumer loans will likely continue.

Troubled CIT 'talks with lenders'
Troubled US bank CIT says it is in talks to secure financing, as its shares jump on hopes it may avoid bankruptcy.

Rio 'very concerned' about staff
Rio Tinto voices concern about its employees detained in Shanghai amid accusations of bribery and spying.

US firm averts French explosion
A US firm agrees to pay extra compensation to French workers who had threatened to explode gas canisters at their factory.

Oil rebounds above $63 a barrel
Oil rebounds above $63 a barrel in New York, buoyed by US data suggesting the property market is on firmer ground.

No more Sears Tower - the Chicago landmark is renamed
The Sears Tower in Chicago - visited by tourists from around the world - is being renamed the Willis Tower.

Donald Trump fails to spark legal battle over extent of his wealth
A US judge dismisses a defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against an author who said Mr Trump was a millionaire not a billionaire.

Explosive mix
How an Italian vineyard became a battleground

Spending boost
Can China's savers be persuaded to open their wallets?

Cutting costs
The 1990s hardships help Serbians survive

Singapore dream
Taxi drivers struggle as people cut back on luxuries

More factories 'are freezing pay'
Two-thirds of UK manufacturing companies froze wages in the three months to June, says manufacturers' organisation EEF.

Ghana gets $600m loan from IMF
Ghana is to get a $600m three-year loan from the IMF, amid fears about the impact of the recession on poorer countries.

FTSE has best full week of year
Leading UK shares have had their best week of the year so far, boosted by good corporate results in the US.

Tax rise 'to hike footballer pay'
Premier League clubs may face higher wage claims from European players because of the weak pound, a report says.

Allied Carpets in administration
Allied Carpets goes into administration, but 400 jobs are saved as some of its stores are sold immediately.

Barclays workers in strike ballot
Workers at Barclays are to be balloted for strike action over the closure of its final-salary pension scheme to existing members.

Cadbury workers 'vote on strike'
Cadbury workers begin voting on possible strike action on Saturday, according the union Unite.

Google sees quarterly profit up
Internet search engine Google sees better-than-expected quarterly results even as revenue growth slowed in the downturn.

Care urged on comparison site use
Comparison websites have "an obvious incentive" to feature companies that pay them most, a competition expert warns.

Call for Child Trust Fund change
Child Trust Funds of children with severe disabilities should be ringfenced so they do not affect future benefits, says Mencap.

Gloomy outlook for mortgage costs
The long-term cost of mortgages is likely to rise as lenders continue to resist taking on too much business, brokers say.

Call for airline charges clean-up
Varied policies exist among airlines on booking charges when using credit or debit cards, a consumer organisation finds.

Nigeria 'ready for 10,000 rebels'
Some 10,000 militants could benefit from an amnesty in Nigeria's oil-producing region, a military official says.

E Africa customs union boosted
Rwanda and Burundi join the East African Community Customs Union, which should lead to lower prices.

IBM increases earnings forecasts
IBM raises its earnings forecast and posts quarterly profits ahead of expectations, even as sales and revenue fall.

Copa in $1bn Boeing 737 order
Copa airlines orders 13 Boeing 737-800 planes, worth $1bn in total, with the chance to buy a further eight.

Nokia shares slide as profits hit
Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, sees a 66% slide in quarterly profit as the downturn hits demand for handsets.

China grows faster amid worries
China's economy grows at an annual rate of 7.9% in the second quarter, but officials warn challenges remain.

Renault suffers sharp sales fall
Renault says that car sales in the first half of 2009 fell 16.5%, as the downturn hit demand for vehicles.

Ukraine's economy 'to shrink 15%'
The World Bank downgrades its forecast for Ukraine's economy, saying it will contract by 15% this year.

Yemenia 'may cancel Airbus order'
The airline Yemenia says it may cancel an order for 10 Airbus planes, saying Airbus gave it no support over the Comoros crash.

Sahara pipeline gets go-ahead
Nigeria, Niger and Algeria agree to build a multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline across the Sahara.

First Nano owner gets keys to car
The first owner of the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano, takes possession of his vehicle in the Indian city of Mumbai.

UK rail inquiries moving to India
All calls to the UK's National Rail Enquiries Service will be handled by Indian call centres from next March, the BBC learns.