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- Government to own majority of RBS
The government is to own nearly 58% of Royal Bank of Scotland after existing shareholders snubbed its Ј15bn share offer. - VAT rise for 180,000 small firms
There will be a surprise rise in VAT for some small businesses on Monday as the Revenue changes the flat-rate scheme. - Wal-Mart worker killed in sales rush
A 34-year-old employee is trampled to death as sales-hungry shoppers rush into a Wal-Mart store in New York. - Online movie sales jump in the UK
The number of people buying films via online download in the UK has jumped hugely in the past year, according to Screen Digest. - EU calls for aid to poor nations
The European Commission calls for more aid for developing countries as a major aid summit opens in Doha. - Lenders given 'fairness' deadline
The City watchdog warns lenders to give fair treatment to customers when dealing with arrears on home loans. - Nationwide limits cheap mortgages
One of the UK's biggest mortgage lenders, the Nationwide, will stop new borrowers taking out loans on its standard variable rate. - 'Double-digit' house price drop
House prices in England and Wales fell by more than 10% year-on-year in October, the Land Registry says. - Oil falls ahead of Opec meeting
Opec leaders gather in Cairo, as oil prices remain below $55 a barrel on fears that global demand is set to fall further. - GM tries to block tracking of its private jets after Washington flap
General Motors asks the US aviation authorities not to track its private jets after being criticised for extravagance as it asked for government help. - Why changes to gym contracts might make joining less painful
Gym operator Fitness First rewrites contracts following complaints that the ill could not cancel membership. - Bags of optimism
No gloom in our High Street despite Woolies' demise - Mortgage mission
Trying to sell things that keep being withdrawn - Robert Peston
Now that taxpayers own RBS, will banks be run differently? - Driving force
Gloom drives down the mood in the UK car industry - Texas ponders
How will US fare with European-style economics? - African hopes
Will the World Cup boost African businesses? - Economy boost for Spain and Italy
Spain and Italy announce plans worth billions of euros to kick-start their economies. - Retailers predict weak Christmas
Retailers are predicting little Christmas cheer, according to the latest survey from the employers' organisation, the CBI. - Drug firms 'block cheap medicine'
Drug companies are blocking or delaying the entry of cheaper generic medicines into the EU, the European Commission says. - Hopes rise for deep ECB rate cut
A steep fall in eurozone inflation and a rise in the jobless rate raises hopes that the ECB will cut rates sharply next week. - China's first home-made jet flies
China has successfully flight tested it first home-grown commercial airliner with a 90-seat capacity. - Russian rates up as rouble falls
Russia's central bank increases its key interest rate to 13% from 12% and the rouble weakens by about 1% against the dollar and the euro. - Europe backs mobile roaming cap
Sending text or downloading data while abroad looks set to get cheaper as Brussels backs caps on roaming charges. - Shares up as India market opens
Indian shares rise as the market reopens, a day after Thursday's attacks in Mumbai, India's business capital. - Deaf man wins business award
This year's Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs has gone to a man who runs a web-based video conferencing service for sigh language users - Commerzbank speeds up takeover
Germany's Commerzbank agrees to accelerate its purchase of Dresdner Bank from insurer Allianz in a deal worth 9.8bn euros. - Tobacco giant wins ruling on tax
British American Tobacco (BAT) says it may get Ј1.2bn of tax back after a High Court judge ruled it had overpaid. - Early opening for London stores
Several shops in London's West End open early to attract shoppers to boost pre-Christmas sales. - Brown vows Woolworths support
The government is working to ensure that Woolworths stores stay open over Christmas, the PM says. - House prices fall but pace eases
House prices fell 0.4% in November from a month earlier, according to the latest figures from the Nationwide. - Builders and carmakers seek help
Senior officials from the car and construction industries have met ministers to appeal for government assistance. - Mutual savers retain extra cover
Merged building societies can keep, for the time being, double the normal level of saver protection against insolvency. - Nokia to end sales in Japan
Finish mobile phone giant Nokia says it will stop selling handsets in Japan after struggling to grow its market share there. - China unrest fear amid slowdown
The economic slowdown in China will lead to huge unemployment and could fuel social unrest, China's top planner says. - B&Q owner hit by weak DIY sales
Sales fall 9% in the third quarter at Kingfisher amid slowing demand for home improvement products. - Ryanair anger over airport error
Newquay Airport's bosses are described by airline Ryanair as "Keystone Cops" over the cancellation of flights. - Rock increases new mortgage rates
Northern Rock raises the cost of most of its new mortgages despite substantial Bank of England rate cuts. - Credit firms 'to help borrowers'
Credit card companies have agreed to do more to help borrowers struggling to pay their debts. - Co-op members to get Ј8.9m payout
The UK's largest co-operative society pays its customers a total 'divi' of Ј8.9m under the group's profit-sharing scheme. - Clothes and holiday spending down
Figures show UK families had started to spend less on package holidays and c