Village Fete

'Gold standard' plan for mortgage securities

The Treasury is to consider proposals as part of an interim report to the Chancellor by the deputy chairman of the FSA

Big companies delay suppliers' cash

Payment delays of more than 100 days are the biggest squeeze on the cashflows of smaller suppliers since the early 1990s

Business big shot: Sol Zakay

Many people are hoping that the decline in property prices will allow them to pick up a bargain. This billionaire is one

Westfield has ongoing vision for Olympic site

The retail developer believes that its East London project would be a success with or without the London 2012 Games

Amazon conflict with Hachette will run and run

Over the past 15 years publishers have retreated before the mighty negotiating power of the bookselling chains

Online bookseller wages price war

Amazon is in conflict with the Hachette Group over terms and discounts and is refusing to sell its titles

Boeing tests Pentagon over tanker protest

US aircraft manufacturer admits it has stretched its Pentagon relationship with protest over Airbus tanker contract

Rolls-Royce turns on to nuclear renaissance

Engine maker is to use its expertise in powering nuclear submarines to help to build UK's next generation of power stations

Ranbaxy faces US fraud probe over drug claims

The investigation, by the US Food and Drug Administration, could affect Daiichi's $4.6bn takeover of Ranbaxy

Shares in Oxford Biomedica plummet

The biotechnology company discloses that its important kidney cancer vaccination drug TroVax has failed in key tests

Boeing tests Pentagon over tanker protest

US aircraft manufacturer admits it has stretched its Pentagon relationship with protest over Airbus tanker contract

New weapons planned in MoD industry tie-up

Six new weapons programmes are to be launched with the MoD's industry partners as part of Team Complex Weapons

Fairground attraction’s snap buyout

Picsolve, which runs camera installations at London Eye and Alton Towers, has been bought by Fidelity Equity Partners

Goldman Sachs gears up for F1 debentures

Ticket sales are not enough to help promoters of the British Grand Prix fund modifications needed at Donington

Hollywood hit as banks cut funding

Slew of film projects are expected to be forced on to the back burner because of tough new funding terms set by Wall Street banks

American hedge fund eyes Sky stake in ITV

Silver Point Capital, which specialises in distressed assets, has held talks with bankers who could assist with its plan

Fight begins to prevent water being the next oil

Regina Finn, the chief executive of Ofwat, wants to seize the initiative and address the long-term future of the industry

IEA warns non-Opec oil could peak in two years

Energy chief believes that the world could soon be increasingly dependent on supplies from the cartel of exporting nations

Commercial pressures build on public service

For a police force investigating multiple murders, carrying out forensic tests can be like having a very expensive taxi meter running

Forensic agency offers payment by results

The Forensic Science Service, which carries out tests for UK police forces, is experimenting with no-win, no-fee charges

High-street’s big retail guns revolt over rent

The retailers will appoint a representative to negotiate with property owners before the next quarterly payments in September

Britain stays in with a ready meal and plonk

Britons appear to be handling the prospect of recession and the economic downturn by staying at home and eating in

Google UK not immune to downturn

Reduced spending by estate agents helped to push revenues down for the first time since the group's debut figures in 2004

Nintendo Wii trounces XBox as US bestseller

The Japanese gaming giant is leading console and handheld sales with 10.9m units sold in the US since launch

Copper cable replacement scheme to boost broadband

A non-invasive method of stripping copper cable and replacing it with fibre optics is being introduced to the UK

£101m mobile payout 4U bucks the downturn

In just two years chief executive Tim Whiting and founder John Caudwell have recouped cash for the equity they put up

Economic tremors in the West reach China

A slowdown in container traffic through the giant ports of southern China is an indicator that exporters are suffering

Emirates flies the paperless plane

Removing airline magazines and other seat-pocket paper that adds up to an extra tonne of weight will save on fuel

RBC in landfill gas auction

The sale for EDL in Britain should attract hot competition from buyers keen on a greater stake in green energy resources

Robert Redford backs E.ON demo

The American film star has written to British eco warriors congratulating them on a planned demonstration in Kent