Polyus fails to sell 5 per cent stake

Russia’s top gold miner, said on Friday its two main owners had decided not to sell a 5 per cent stake in the company ‘due to market conditions’

• Russian telecoms aim to limit Skype surge
• Russia hopes to get behind the wheel

GE’s bid for Areva arm poses questions

The sale of Areva’s power transmission and distribution subsidiary sparks speculation about whether France really is ready to choose a foreign bid over a home-grown solution

• Pennon weathers worst of crisis
• National Grid profits rise despite drop in demand

ABN Amro and Fortis set for €4.4bn bail-out

The Dutch state plans to provide the two nationalised banks with further capital to keep their merger on track in what it says will be the groups’ final bail-out

MAN looks to build in the Brics

The German truckmaker has bought a 25 per cent stake in China’s largest lorry manufacturer, bought the top lorry business in Brazil and launched a joint venture in India

European groups set ambitious growth targets

Large European companies are putting a big emphasis on emerging markets for their growth strategies as they look to follow the lead of ABB, the electrical engineering group

European companies eye emerging market growth

Companies on the continent are setting increasingly ambitious growth targets in emerging markets as they look to increase their revenues from such areas

Berlin forces up Emirates’ business fares

Berlin has forced Emirates to raise the prices of business class tickets on flights out Germany as concerns about the Middle East’s largest airline grow as it expands into continental Europe

Regulations trim growth at United Drug

Reduced prices in its main Irish markets have crimped sales growth at the healthcare products supplier, in spite of strong growth in its contract sales and drug packaging businesses