Business Blog

United Spirits (USL) says it has agreed to sell its Whyte & Mackay whisky business to a Philippine-based brandy producer for £430m.

UK manufacturing outperforms in March, while Peru keeps rates on hold and Chinese inflation remains benign

* FTSEurofirst 300 retreats from highs hit on Thursday* Telefonica falls after Q1 profits miss forecasts* Prospect of new ECB stimulus keeps some traders bullishBy Tricia WrightLONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - European shares retreated on Friday as a disappointing business update from leading telecoms group Telefonica TEF.MC sobered the mood after a rally the previous day.The pan-European FTSEurofirst 30

The UK economy is close to regaining its pre-financial crisis size, according to research organisation NIESR.

US governors raise concerns about job losses in the US and senators threaten to close a tax loophole that Pfizer hopes to use.

Calculations of the size of economies potentially halved overnight the number of people who have been living on less than $1.25 a day