The Big Apple

Continental rejects bid from rival Schaeffler

German tyre and car parts maker says agreement is desirable but Schaeffler must consider higher bid or limit its stake

Profits up for VW and Peugeot as GM sales fall

Strong results for European carmakers highlights the gloom at General Motors, which could soon lose its crown to Toyota

London is costly, but Tokyo is worse

Moscow tops the list of the world's most expensive locations for third year running and London has lost its second spot

Vodafone plans £1bn buyback after shares slump

Telecoms group says repurchase scheme reflects the board's belief that share price significantly undervalues the company

Roche bid for Genentech faces lawsuit

Roche’s $43.7bn (£21.8 bn) takeover of Genentech was met with a lawsuit claiming that the deal short-changed shareholders

Vodafone slumps as chill hits telecoms

The world's biggest mobile phone company warns that the European telecoms market is not immune to economic slowdown

Unilever lets Bertolli oil slip off

The £500m that Unilever is receiving is almost twice Bertolli's annual sales, which is pretty tasty for a commodity food business

Unilever sells Bertolli to Spanish Grupo SOS

One of the world's bestselling olive oils has been sold by Unilever to Spain's second-largest quoted food group for €630m

Roche pursues Genentech to fight off rivals

Swiss drugs company Roche made a $43.7bn cash bid for the remaining stake in Genentech, its San Francisco-based partner

UK companies welcome Treasury climbdown

Business leaders welcomed government climbdown on taxing companies' foreign profits though the accord still needs work

Delegates in Geneva scorn Mandelson proposal

Brazil dismisses proposal to increase average tariff cuts on farm produce from 54 to 60 per cent as 'mere propaganda'

Telecom Italia seeks $50m freezing order

The Italian telecoms giant will ask the UK courts to intervene in a dispute over nationalisation of its holdings in Bolivia

BA joins critics of EU green aviation scheme

AIrline backs mouinting opposition to emissions proposal which would 'create an international legal mess'

Fight for control of TNK-BP is tearing it apart

Robert Dudley, chief executive of BP in Russia, is being sued by his staff as the dispute between partners continues

UBS closes US clients' Swiss accounts

Group caves in to US Government pressure and prepares to lift a veil of secrecy that has protected clients for centuries

Tempus analysis: From the top

Ian Cheshire, chief executive of Kingfisher, has surrounded himself with bags of experience for tough times ahead

Kingfisher poaches Ikea's UK chief executive

Peter Hogsted leaves Ikea after 13 years to run Kingfisher's international division in latest shake-up at the B&Q group

Tempus analysis: New dawn

Co-op might not be able to break back into the Big Four of grocery retailing, but it is a solid number five

Co-op seals £1.57bn Somerfield deal

Co-operative Group says the acquisition will help lead a renaissance of the brand and provide real test to the Big Four

Spain's largest property developer collapses

Martinsa-Fadesa files for bankruptcy, sparking panic in the country's financial community about the property market