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UK joins G20 push for world levy on banks

ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) - Britain threw its weight on Saturday behind proposals to impose a global levy on banks to fund future bailouts but failed to make much progress on securing a G20 deal to meet the cost of climate change.

Stimulus, not tax needed: Geithner

ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Saturday stressed the necessity of keeping global economic stimulus in place until recovery is assured and opposed the utility of a tax on financial transactions as a way to dampen risky bank behaviour.

U.S. jobless rate at 26 year record

The U.S. jobless rate unexpectedly jumped to 10.2 percent last month, a 26-1/2-year high, adding to pressure on the Obama administration to do more to tackle unemployment even as signs of recovery mount.

Kraft in waiting game for Cadbury

Kraft Foods <KFT.N> is persisting in its waiting game as a deadline for its acquisition of confectioner Cadbury <CBRY.L> nears, and many see a formal bid coming in close to its tight first offer.

Berkshire Hathaway's net income triples

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc <BRKa.N> <BRKb.N> on Friday said quarterly earnings tripled, as rising stock markets boosted its investment holdings and a quiet hurricane season contributed to higher insurance profit.

BA hints worst over for business travel

British Airways signalled business is stabilising, eclipsing news of a worse than expected first half loss and a prediction that revenue would slump by 1 billion pounds this year.

RBS cuts losses, bank profits slump

Losses at part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland more than halved in the third quarter with a sharp reduction in bad debt writeoffs, despite a slump in profits at its beleaguered investment bank.

Gold surges to record after U.S. jobs

Gold surged to a record high above $1,100 per ounce on Friday as investors pounced on the metal in volatile trade after data showed U.S. employers cut a bigger-than-expected 190,000 jobs in October.

Opel chief leaves following failed deal

General Motors Co <GM.UL> said on Friday the head of its European operations, Carl-Peter Forster, is leaving, three days after the automaker's decision to scrap a planned sale of its Opel unit.