British prime minister David Cameron began a four-day tour of Asia by calling on Japan to end trade restrictions on British companies to open the way for a free-trade agreement with the EU.

Helicopter maker AgustaWestland is to axe 640 jobs at its UK factory because of a shortage of orders, the company announced today.

The FTSE 100 Index weakened towards the end of the session today as poorer-than-expected job figures in the United States cast a cloud over markets.

The London market looked on track for a positive end to the week today after shrugging off last night's heavy losses in New York.

BAE Systems became the sole owner of a business specialising in software for the defence industry today after buying out GKN’s 50% stake for £14.5m (€21.6m).

Top-flight players ranging from banks and insurers to brewer Scottish & Newcastle and miner Anglo American will be updating the market during a busy few days for corporate news this week.

British engineering group GKN said today it had rubber-stamped a deal to sell its stake in helicopter maker AgustaWestland for £1.06bn (€1.6bn).

British aerospace group BAE Systems today downplayed claims that it was in talks to take a 40 per cent stake in helicopter maker AgustaWestland.

Engineering group GKN today signalled the end of British ownership in the helicopter industry by saying it may sell its stake in AgustaWestland.