BBC Business News
Switching supplier 'made bills soar'
Ron Manuel agreed to switch energy supplier when he was contacted by a rival company. However, his bills ended up being higher.
RBS job losses 'horrific', says union
Royal Bank of Scotland has said it is planning to cut 3,500 jobs as part of its plans to halve its administration centres across the UK. Siobhan Endean of Unite called the job losses ''horrific'' and said union members ''are paying the price for decisions by senior bankers''.
Online clothes shopping booming
Online clothes shopping is expected to grow to $144 billion by 2014 in western Europe according to market research company
Nationwide: Sellers back in market
House prices fell for the second month in a row in August, according to the Nationwide building society.
India's cities running out of space
Indian cities are getting bigger and there is a growing need for more housing, business space and public facilities.
Ofgem to investigate mis-selling
Four of the UK's biggest energy suppliers are to be investigated over concerns that customers have been mis-sold contracts.
Peru island makes gains from guano
An island off Peru is making money from selling bird poo to use as organic fertiliser.
Boom allows Brazilians a home
The property market in Brazil is booming, as the country enjoys rapid economic growth - and it has enabled thousands of people to buy their first home.
Doing Islamic business in Russia
Tatarstan has discovered a new money-making opportunity: providing services to its Muslim community.
Apple's social network for iTunes
Apple has launched a new social network feature called Ping for its iTunes software.
Kraft UK boss on Cadbury future
The boss of Kraft UK visits Fairtrade farmers in Ghana and talks about plans for Cadbury in the UK.
'Lehman could have been saved'
The US government made a mistake in allowing Lehman Brothers to fail according to the former chief executive of the bank.
TV drama happening off-screen
After years of promising us TV over the internet, American media and technology companies are suddenly making bold moves to make it happen and ensure there success when it does.
The world's youngest airline boss
A 17 year old from Lincolnshire has become the world's youngest airline boss
Potash takeover takes bitter turn
Canadian mining firm Potash has hit back at pressure over a potential takeover, accusing its would-be buyers of acting unethically.
Advertising watchdog moves online
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is extending its remit to cover the online realm.
Solar panels generate free electricity
The government is creating cash incentives for people who generate their own power.
Australian economy hits three-year high
The Australian economy grew at its fastest pace in three years in the second quarter of the year.
India's music industry struggling
CD and album sales used to account for 70% of the revenue of the Indian music industry.
Do new HD phones make clearer calls?
Mobile firm Orange is rolling out High Definition (HD) technology which it says offers higher quality voice calls.
Business people behind bars in Russia
According to a Russian government official about one fourth of the 900,000 people in Russian jails are accountants, entrepreneurs, legal advisers or mid-level managers.
Possibly the world's oldest champagne
A team of divers has begun to salvage dozens of bottles, of what is thought to be the world's oldest champagne, from a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea.
Dover locals anxious over port sale
Could the privatisation of the Port of Dover mean it could end up in French hands?
Benefits of Fairtrade chocolate
The BBC looks at what the affect of Cadbury's only using Fairtrade cocoa to make its Dairy Milk bars has meant for cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Ryanair pulls out of Belfast City
Ryanair is ceasing services from Belfast City Airport from 31 October, the airline has announced.
Frank: 'Recovery much too slow'
US Congressman Barney Frank tells Stephen Sackur why he thinks Democrats are suffering in the polls ahead of the mid-term elections.
Mumbai fishermen fight falling catches
One community that has seen first hand the effects of expansion is Mumbai's fishermen.
Carrefour announces profits of $85m
Carrefour of France has just announced it made an $85m net profit in the first half of the year.
Pension schemes 'under-funded'
Mike Smedley of KPMG claims a third of pension schemes in the UK's biggest companies are so under-funded they cannot be restored to health.
Tatarstan seeks new ways to produce oil
The republic is facing some serious challenges, as its main oil field is now well past its peak, and extracting oil is becoming more and more difficult.
Savvy shoppers boost Dollar General
One of America's biggest dollar-store chains, Dollar General, is expected to report strong profits for the past three months
Enrolments boom at Sushi Academy
There are some cities in Europe which feel as though they have a sushi restaurant on almost every corner.
Mexico's bullet proof car business
In the Mexican city of Monterrey, which used to be considered one of the safest urban areas in Latin America, more people are taking to the roads in armoured vehicles as drug-related violence takes its toll.
Budget hotel goes to the extreme
A new budget hotel run like a no-frills airline has opened its doors.
Supermarket food mileage 'bonkers'
Professor Tim Lang explains why Ginsters pasties take a 250 mile round trip to get from the factory to the Tesco store next door
Rich pickings for Essex fruit farm
The recession has hit many companies in the UK hard, but one jam-making company in Essex is refusing to let the gloom dampen their operation.
UK gets least public holidays a year
UK gets only 8 public holidays a year, compared to Indonesia which gets 20. Asian countries enjoy the most public holidays compared to the rest of the world.
UK economy faces 'enormous challenges'
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has upgraded its forecast for the UK's short term economic prospects, but said interest rates must be kept low to aid recovery.
Was Darling's bleak prediction correct?
In August 2008 the then chancellor Alistair Darling warned that Britain faced its worse downturn in 60 years, but how has the economy fared since then?
Blackberry looks to strike India deal
The Canadian owners of Blackberry, Research in Motion, have offered an olive branch to the Indian government in the bitter battle over e-mail secrecy.
Electric cars 'may be costlier'
Motorists considering buying an electric car are being warned that they can be more expensive to run than conventional petrol vehicles.
'One in four lap-dancers has a degree'
Lap-dance club owner Peter Stringfellow and university researcher Dr Belinda Brooks-Gordon discuss the findings of university research which reveals that one in four lap-dancers has a degree.
Corus: 'A fantastic day for Teeside'
The multi-union chairman at Teesside's mothballed Corus steel plant has welcomed the news that a deal has been agreed to sell the site.
Construction boss's immigration fears
Jay Chiu is the chief executive of Grandworks, a construction company that employs immigrant workers.
Jenin booms as it shakes off past
Jenin, in the West Bank, was a dangerous place to live during the second intifada - but now the town is booming.
Boeing delays delivery of Dreamliner
Boeing is delaying delivery of its first new-generation 787 Dreamliner aircraft until early 2011.
3G enhancers: Work from anywhere
Click's Spencer Kelly takes a look at some of the tools that can help you work away from the office.
Russia counts the cost of drought
Global wheat prices have skyrocketed after the worst drought on record resulted in Russia banning all wheat exports from 15 August.
Friday boss: Gudjon Reynisson, Hamleys
Lesley Curwen talks to Friday boss Gudjon Reynisson, who runs Britain's oldest toy store, Hamleys.