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• US home sales fall to 12-year low
  November sales of new US homes fall more than analysts expected, raising concerns about the economy.
• Warner agrees to use MP3 format
  Warner Music agrees to sell its music for download on Amazon in MP3 format without copy protection.
• Amazon reports bumper Christmas
  Online retail giant Amazon says the 2007 holiday season was its strongest since it began trading in 1994.
• Merrill to sell loans unit to GE
  Merrill Lynch plans to sell its capital lending business to General Electric's commercial finance arm.
• Bankruptcy for business airline
  Low-cost business class airline Maxjet ceases operating and files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
• BAE Systems in US acquisition
  BAE Systems makes its latest move into the US, agreeing to buy military support services provider MTC Technologies.
• US faces sanctions on gaming ban
  The WTO says Antigua can impose sanctions worth $21m a year after the US brought in an online gaming ban.
• Merrill stock up on investor talk
  Shares in Merrill Lynch jump after a report that a foreign investor may pump $5bn into the bank.
• Fed in fresh $20bn credit auction
  The Federal Reserve issues another $20bn of credit to ease money markets hit by the global lending squeeze.
• Heavy discounts lure US shoppers
  Consumer spending in the US rises by its largest amount in three-and-a-half years in November, figures show.
• Chavez proposes oil barter scheme
  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offers neighbouring states the option to pay for oil with local produce.
• Gates invests in Mexican brewer
  Microsoft boss Bill Gates buys a 3% stake in Mexican brewer Femsa, the owner of Sol lager and Coke bottler.
• Blackberry firm sees sales jump
  Buoyant demand for the Blackberry wireless e-mail device boosts profits at its Canadian manufacturer.
• Turkish delight over Godiva deal
  The upmarket Belgian chocolate brand Godiva is to be sold to Turkish firm Yildiz for $850m.
• Briton jailed over US visa scam
  A Norfolk man has been sentenced to 15 months in a US jail after he pleads guilty to forging visa applications for UK families.
• US clears Google-Doubleclick deal
  US regulators approve Google's $3.1bn takeover of online advertising firm Doubleclick.
• Bear Stearns suffers $854m loss
  US investment bank Bear Stearns reports its first loss after making risky bets on sub-prime mortgages.
• BP $50m blast fine 'not enough'
  A proposed $50m fine for an explosion at a BP plant in Texas is too low, lawyers for the victims' families say.
• Big demand for Fed credit issue
  Banks queue up to tap the $20bn credit issued by the US Federal Reserve, aimed at easing money markets.
• Morgan Stanley takes $9.4bn hit
  Morgan Stanley unveils a $9.4bn write-down and sells a $5bn stake to a Chinese sovereign wealth fund.
• US chain settles data leak case
  US retailer TJX, which owns TJ Maxx and TK Maxx, reaches an out-of-court deal over a credit card data breach.
• US media ownership rules relaxed
  Regulators ease restrictions stopping firms owning both TV channels and newspapers in the US's largest cities.
• US Congress approves energy bill
  The US Congress passes a "historic" energy bill to improve fuel economy and reduce demand for oil.
• Fed to help US mortgage holders
  The US Federal Reserve agrees measures to help mortgage applicants and improve lending standards.
• US housing starts hit 16-year low
  The number of single-family homes homes being contructed in the US hits its lowest level since April 1991.
• Sub-prime sidestep boosts Goldman
  Goldman Sachs sees fourth quarter profits rise, after it correctly predicts mortgage bond values would fall.
• WTO to probe US farm subsidies
  The WTO probes US support for crops including soya and rice after complaints from Canada and Brazil.
• $20bn from Fed to ease credit woe
  The Fed makes billions of dollars available to banks in an auction hoping to ease credit-crunch concerns.
• Upgrades help lift Adobe profits
  US software firm Adobe sees fourth-quarter profit jump 21% on the back of strong sales.
• Dollar fall narrows US trade gap
  The US current account deficit falls in the third quarter to the lowest level in two years as US exports surge.
• Wheat breaks through $10 a bushel
  US wheat futures break through $10 a bushel for the first time fanning fears about food price inflation.
• US makes EU offer on gambling ban
  The US offers trade concessions to the EU as compensation for refusing to change gambling rules.
• Greenspan wants homeowners helped
  Federal Reserve ex-head Alan Greenspan calls for direct help for homeowners hit by the credit crunch.
• Ingersoll to buy Trane for $10bn
  US conglomerate Ingersoll-Rand buys temperature control firm Trane for $10.1bn.
• Auckland snubs Canada airport bid
  Auckland International Airport rejects a Canadian pension fund's offer for up to a 40% stake in the airport.