US new home sales hit record low
Sales of new homes in the US fell to their lowest level on record in February, figures show.

Electrolux in bid for Daewoo
Swedish-based home appliances group Electrolux is a preferred bidder for Daewoo Electronics.

Portugal rating downgraded
The euro weakens after Portugal's credit rating is downgraded by leading credit rating agency Fitch.

Samsung boss back after pardon
The former boss of Samsung Electronics, who was convicted of tax evasion in 2008, has returned to head the company.

Darling's Budget pitch to voters
Alistair Darling sets the stage for the election with a Budget appeal for voters to stick with Labour.

China signs Australian gas deal
China National Offshore Oil Corporation signs a multi-billion dollar gas deal with Australia's BG Group.

Daimler charged in bribery probe
The US accuses German car giant Daimler of bribing 22 governments in order to win contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.

North America baby slings recall
More than 1m baby slings made by Infantino are recalled in the US and Canada after reports of three infant deaths.

BA strikers to lose travel perks
British Airways cabin crew who took part in a three-day strike will lose their travel perks, the company confirms.

Don't mention the cup - South Africa airline in trouble with Fifa
South Africa's budget airline pulls its tongue-in-cheek ad after a Fifa complaint that it infringes its trademark during the World Cup.

VW shares plunge on stock offer
The share price of German car maker Volkwagen has plunged following a new $6bn (4.5bn-euro) stock offer.

Man Utd to freeze ticket prices
Manchester United confirms it is freezing ticket prices for the 2010/11 football season.

FROM BBC SPORT >>
Pompey permitted to sell players
Portsmouth get permission from the Premier League to sell players outside the transfer window to ease their financial crisis.

Graphic economy
The state of the UK economy in pictures, in full

FROM PANORAMA >>
Bitter taste
Child labour in the chocolate trade

India appeal
Can India's high-fashion find a broader market?

Rolls-Royce chief
Retiring 43 years after joining as an apprentice

No water
Nestle boss spells out the biggest global threat

US home sales fall in slow market
US home sales have fallen for the third straight month, raising concerns about the markets slow recovery.

Karzai and Hu sign economic deals
The presidents of Afghanistan and China sign agreements on trade and economic co-operation at talks in Beijing.

Music sales 'held firm in 2009'
Sales of music fell only marginally during the recession last year, the UK's Entertainment Retailers Association says.

B&B and Rock 'bad banks' to merge
The non-performing parts of the two former mortgage banks Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley will be joined together.

China court ends Rio Tinto trial
China's bribery trial of four executives of mining giant Rio Tinto ends, but no verdict is announced.

Alstom bosses held in fraud case
Three directors of French engineering group Alstom have been held in a UK corruption probe, the Serious Fraud Office says.

Web campaign against Ethiopia dam
Campaigners launch an online petition against Ethiopia's Gibe III dam, saying it could devastate 500,000 lives.

Ivory bids fall on poaching fears
A UN wildlife trade meeting rejects proposals for further sales of ivory, amid concern on poaching controls.

Gates in talks on nuclear power
A company backed by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates is in talks with Japan's Toshiba to develop a new generation of nuclear reactors

Google not guilty in Vuitton row
European court rules that Google did not violate the rights of Louis Vuitton with its adword policy.

Shell signs gas deal with China
Royal Dutch Shell has strengthened its ties in China after agreeing a 30-year deal to explore for natural gas deposits in the country

US firms 'feel unwanted' in China
Many US firms feel increasingly unwelcome in China, according to an American Chamber of Commerce in China survey.

France backs down on carbon tax
The French government signals that it is dropping a plan for a tax on domestic carbon dioxide emissions.

BA boosts flights for next strike
British Airways says it will run more flights through the next planned strike as more crew will report for work.

Iran tightens petrol rations
Iran has announced it will cut the volume of its cheap petrol ration by 25% to 60 litres per vehicle per month from 21 March.

Oil price up as Opec holds quota
Oil prices extend gains above $80 a barrel after the Opec oil cartel sticks with its existing output targets.

Cairn fields bigger than thought
Oil exploration company Cairn Energy says its Indian oil reserves are greater than previously predicted.

Google stops censoring in China
Google says it has stopped censoring its search results in China, setting itself up for a confrontation with the country's authorities.

Budget says bank accounts for all
Budget 2010 tightens pressure with universal banking pledge and new lending targets.

Ofcom in faster broadband effort
Telecoms regulator Ofcom urges UK firms to speed up the roll-out of super-fast broadband.

Mortgage lending 'still subdued'
Mortgage lending to house buyers is still subdued, according to the British Bankers' Association (BBA).

UK inflation rate starts to fall
The UK inflation rate drops sharply to 3% in February from 3.5% the month before, official figures show.