Mortgage rates dip to autumn low
The average interest charged on a two-year fixed-rate mortgage has fallen below 5% for the first time since June, a survey says.

Blacks creditors back rescue plan
Creditors of Blacks Leisure agree a rescue plan that should allow the outdoor goods retailer to stay in business.

HP profits rise on cost cutting
Hewlett-Packard sees its latest profits increase by 18% after cost-cutting work offset another decline in sales.

Police stop suspect from flying
A suspect in what is alleged to be the UK's biggest Ponzi fraud scheme is stopped from flying to New Zealand.

Kroenke buys more Arsenal shares
Arsenal director Stan Kroenke buys 10 more shares in the club, moving closer to the threshold that would trigger a takeover bid.

Gold at new high on weak dollar
The price of gold hits a new all-time high, and oil also rises, both boosted by concerns about the weakening dollar.

Borders bookshop looks for buyer
The Borders bookshop chain in the UK has appointed advisers to try to find a buyer for the business.

Good schools 'raise house prices'
Homes near the best performing primary schools in England can cost £19,500 more than homes elsewhere, research finds.

Children are 'worth £5bn' to the UK economy, a report suggests
Spending by UK children has hit record levels despite a fall in parents' disposable incomes, research indicates.

Debt or no debt
Legal challenges to the enforcement of bank debts

Business vote
How did CBI delegates react to UK political leaders?

Kabul capital
Property prices in Afghanistan go through the roof

Working together
Collaboration will help UK industry recover, says CBI

Closing down
Niche clothes shop says goodbye to Covent Garden

Tax credits boost US home sales
Sales of previously-owned US homes jumped by 10.1% in October as buyers rushed to take advantage of tax credits.

OECD economies return to growth
The economies of the 30 members of the OECD grew by 0.8% between July and September, the group says.

Lloyds confirms 700 posts to go
Lloyds Banking Group confirms more than 700 jobs are to go at its offices in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Russia 'is now a criminal state'
Russia has turned into a "criminal state", according to the man who was once its leading foreign investor.

Eurozone activity 'accelerates'
Eurozone economic activity rose at its fastest pace in November for two years, according to an influential survey.

Heritage sells oil field stakes
Heritage Oil agrees to sell its stakes in two Ugandan oil fields to Italy's Eni for $1.5bn (£903.2m).

Reliance bids for LyondellBasell
The Indian energy giant Reliance Industries announces a bid to buy a controlling stake in bankrupt US petrochemicals firm LyondellBasell.

Bad debt hits water firm
Business closures in the North East left Northumbrian Water with bad debts of £1.7m in the six months to September.

New iPhone worm 'more serious'
A second worm which infects modified iPhones has been discovered by security company F-Secure.

Manufacturers call for stability
The EEF manufacturers' organisation calls for the government to provide stability in its pre-Budget report.

China broker eyes rival
China's Haitong Securities says it will buy a 53% stake in Hong Kong's Taifook Securities for 1.82bn Hong Kong dollars.

Hershey 'mulls Cadbury bid'
US chocolate maker Hershey considers launching a solo bid of at least $17bn (£10bn) for UK firm Cadbury, reports say.

Thai economy continues to grow
Thailand's economy grows for the second straight quarter, boosted by a strong recovery in the country's manufacturing sector.

Banks 'are charging sneaky fees'
Banks are still finding "sneaky ways" to make money out of people, says the consumers' association Which?.

Deutsche Bahn in Qatar rail deal
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn signs a 17bn euro contract to build rail and underground lines in Qatar and Bahrain.

Floods claims could exceed £100m
Floods claims in Cumbria and south Scotland could top £100m, according to the Association of British Insurers.

Bogus callers in council tax scam
Bogus callers posing as council staff are luring homeowners into a council tax scam, say council leaders.

Shoppers give muted VAT response
Shoppers have given a muted response to the lower rate of VAT although a majority want it extended, a BBC poll finds.

ECB slows emergency cash support
The European Central Bank says it will scale back emergency monetary support for fear of fuelling inflation.

Japan says deflation has returned
The Japanese government warns that deflation has returned to the country's economy for the first time since 2006.

Trade deal agreed in East Africa
Leaders from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi sign a common market trade agreement.

Valero shuts another oil refinery
Valero Energy announces it is permanently closing its oil refinery in Delaware City, with the loss of 550 jobs.

Decline in car output rate slows
UK car production fell by 6.7% in October compared with a year earlier - the smallest annual decline of the year, figures show.

More job cuts at Threshers owner
A further 381 stores are to close at off licence group First Quench, with the loss of 1,908 jobs, the firm's administrators announce.

BMW becomes 2012 Olympics sponsor
Car manufacturer BMW becomes the 24th sponsor for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

MCC rules out renaming of Lord's
The owners of Lord's say they are not planning to sell the stadium's naming rights to fund a £400m redevelopment of the famous venue.

Mercedes takes over Brawn F1 team
Mercedes buys and renames the Brawn F1 team, which won both world titles in their debut season in 2009.