After 300 people were struck down with novovirus on a luxury cruise ship - another one of P%O's liners has reported more cases.

Some ferry services have been cancelled this evening, after Met Éireann issued a severe weather warning.

Ferry giant P&O have announced a "major" cost-saving drive which will lead to the loss of up to 70 jobs at its head office.

Some ferry crossings have been cancelled because of the high winds.

The five ferry companies operating out of Dublin Port catered for a record 72,000 passengers in the week of flight cancellations as a result of the Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption.

A SIGNIFICANT decline in earnings is expected when leading ferry and freight services business, Irish Continental Group (ICG) publishes its full-year results, for 2009, next week.

IRISH Continental Group (ICG) is looking at options concerning the operation of one of its largest passenger ferries after the vessel’s current operator said it wouldn’t be renewing its lease.

Cruise giant Carnival today said it would take a financial hit after the Mexico swine flu outbreak forced it to change routes for 27 ships.

Daytime Dover-Calais ferry services in were resuming today after protesting French fishermen decided to call off their blockade of the port of Calais.

Almost 200 passengers and crew remained stranded on board a ferry today after a lorry broke free and burst through the ship's rear door.

IRISH Continental Group, Ireland’s biggest ferry company has extended a charter agreement with P&O European Ferries for its “Pride of Bilbao” for three more years.

The battle for steel group Corus (formerly British Steel) intensified today after Brazilian firm CSN dramatically trumped a takeover offer from Indian rival Tata.

Iconic British ports and ferries company P&O was today said to be looking at a shock return to the London stock market just months after it set sail for Dubai.

UK gases giant BOC today said its £8.2bn (€12bn) takeover by German industrial conglomerate Linde was on course as it reported a “strong trading performance” in the first half.

A Dubai-owned company said today it plans to sell all its US port operations within four to six months to an unrelated American buyer and laid out new details about how it plans to pursue the sale under pressure from Congress.

Dubai Ports World today finalised its £4bn purchase of P&O while bowing to US political pressure by agreeing to end its quest to take over operations at US ports.

The £3.9bn (€5.7bn) takeover of shipping giant P&O by Dubai Ports World (DPW) was given final legal clearance today when the Court of Appeal in London rejected a renewed bid to stop it going ahead.

Gases giant BOC today became the latest historic manufacturer to fall into foreign hands after accepting an £8.2bn (€12bn) bid from German industrial conglomerate Linde.

Industrial gases group BOC today looked poised to become the latest heavyweight British firm to be taken into foreign ownership.

A High Court judge in London was asked today to block the controversial takeover of shipping giant P&O by Dubai Ports World (DPW).

US SENATE Republican Leader Bill Frist yesterday called for the Bush administration to stop a deal permitting a United Arab Emirates company to take over six American seaports, upping the ante on a fight that several congressmen, governors and mayors are waging with the White House.

Ports and ferries group P&O today said it was confident its multi-billion pound takeover by Dubai Ports World would go ahead despite growing opposition in the United States.

Shareholders of P&O today overwhelmingly backed the group’s takeover by Dubai Ports World, creating the world’s third largest ports group.

Investors kept faith today with the market rally that sent the FTSE 100 Index to a four-and-a-half-year closing high last night.

The battle for control of ports group P&O looked to be over today after the Singapore-based company PSA declined to improve its offer.

Shares in Boots jumped 4% today as investors pondered whether a private equity bidder could yet derail the retailer’s merger with Alliance UniChem.

A flurry of takeover activity boosted optimism in London today as the FTSE 100 Index soared to levels not seen for more than four years.

A £12.7bn (€18.5bn) takeover proposal from steel giant Mittal helped fuel European markets and lift the FTSE 100 Index to its best level since 2001 today.

P&O investors were today awaiting the next move in a takeover battle that last night saw Dubai Ports World up its offer for the group to £3.9bn (€5.7bn).

Upgrades for top flight stocks and bid excitement over ports and ferries firm P&O helped the FTSE 100 Index rise further above the 5700 mark today.

A bid battle for ports and ferries firm P&O and broker upgrades for a string of top-flight stocks enabled the London market to bed in above the 5700 threshold today.

Directors of ports and ferries firm P&O jumped ship today to recommend a £3.55bn (€5.1bn) takeover offer from Singaporean rival PSA International.

The Singapore-based group behind the latest approach for UK firm P&O was today said to be in talks with potential buyers ready to participate in the break up of the ports and ferries giant.

Excitement at the prospect of the first major bid battle of the new year drove the FTSE 100 Index back beyond the 4700 mark today.

Ports and ferries business P&O was at the centre of a takeover battle tonight after receiving an approach from a Singapore-based ports firm.

Investors in the London stock market were hoping for another bullish year today after a strong rally in 2005 saw the FTSE 100 Index rise 16.7% and shares outperform house prices for the first time since 1999.

Forth Ports said today it was on course to meet its expectations after a significant improvement in trading during the second half of the year.

The UK’s largest homebuilder and a Kazakh copper mine were promoted to the FTSE 100 Index tonight at the expense of household names Whitbread and William Hill.

Ports and ferries group P&O tonight won the race to replace BPB in the ranks of the UK’s top 100 companies after the plasterboard maker stopped trading following a foreign takeover.

A cautious opening to trading on Wall Street – rather than the Chancellor’s gloomy economic forecasts – put the brakes on the London market today.

Higher metal prices boosted mining stocks today as the London market ended the week on a positive note.

Shares in P&O soared another 12% today amid speculation that a fresh bid to rival the €4.88bn offer from Dubai Ports World could be mounted.

The British ports industry today woke up to its second major takeover in 24 hours when North East-based operator PD Ports accepted a £246m (€359m) offer.

Catering giant Compass led the FTSE 100 Index tentatively forward today after the London market shrugged off early losses by banking and oil stocks.