Business leaders call for clear direction

Chief executives contacted by the Financial Times were united in arguing that it was important for world leaders to set a clear lead to provide a stable platform for investment

• In depth: Copenhagen climate conference
• Energy Source: climate experts’ forum

Alcoa says weak dollar is bad for US industry

Klaus Kleinfeld, chief executive of Alcoa says he has discussed with officials in Washington the rapid decline in the dollar and said other companies were also beginning to become “vocal” about it

Gallois unperturbed by pessimists

The chief executive of EADS remains sanguine about the problems he is likely to face in the coming year, and says that staying on course is the group’s primary concern

Dispute looms over A400M’s maiden flight

The A400M, Europe’s long-delayed joint military transport aircraft, could make its maiden flight within days, though commercial negotiations between the partner nations and maker Airbus may yet scupper the project

GM’s European boss to head up Opel and Vauxhall

Search for outside candidate ends as Nick Reilly confirms he will take on chief executive role at both brands

China Shipbuilding to launch $2.2bn IPO in Shanghai

China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, the country's biggest ship equipment maker, said yesterday it would raise up to Rmb14.7bn ($2.2bn) in a Shanghai initial...

End of an era on Teesside

The mothballing of the Redcar blast furnace was read, not as a temporary setback, but as the end of more than 150 years of iron and steelmaking

A year of hard work pays off

Ahead of a possible initial public offering in Hong Kong, Oleg Deripaska pulled off a restructuring of Rusal’s debt of close to $17bn