RBS gets another gift from ABN Amro

Royal Bank of Scotland has one more reason to regret its disastrous takeover of ABN Amro, a deal that lead to the departure of the boss, Sir Fred Goodwin. Guess where most of RBS's exposure to Dubai comes from? You got it: its Dutch subsidiary has always been a big player in the Middle East.

Aviva chief Andrew Moss was waxing lyrical on the proposal to create a Consumer Financial Education body in the Queen's Speech. He wants the credit for recommending it as chairman of the insurance industry working group and calls it a win-win. "Consumers benefit by taking greater responsibility to save for their retirement. Society gains as improved financial literacy helps close the long-term savings gap." Now for the but: "The insurance industry already contributes significantly to a range of financial education initiatives." So a win-win that will generate us lots of business but which we don't want to pay for.

Forget the buzz over the next "Twilight" film or James Cameron's "Avatar." The biggest entertainment hit of the holiday season may come on Tuesday, when "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" hits stores.

The world's largest electricals retailer, Best Buy, is to create 8,000 jobs in the UK over the next five years and is gearing up to open its first stores this coming spring, taking on Currys and Comet.

American consumers hit the shops in higher-than-expected numbers last month, raising optimism among retailers planning for the holiday season. Economists already knew the US government's $3bn (£1.8bn) vehicle scrappage scheme had boosted car sales last month, but retail sales were strong across the board.

A quick glance at the ingredients of some supermarket ice-creams can make them sound less than appetising – extracts of Irish moss seaweed (carageenan), ground-up locust beans and corn syrup are just three of the ingredients added to commercial products to improve their taste and shelf life. There is an alternative way to indulge though, by investing in your own ice-cream maker.

Microsoft is already offering discounts on US pre-orders of its next-gen Windows version.

There's a daunting number of tyres on the market. Before you start looking, you'll need some basic information about the right type for your car. You can only fit the size and specification of tyre recommended by the manufacturer for the wheels on the model you drive.

The opening of the first Best Buy stores in the UK has been delayed until the first quarter of next year.

Carphone Warehouse said today that 450 head office and support centre jobs are "at risk" of redundancy.

Best Buy's third-quarter profits have taken a $100m hit to reflect the tumbling value of its near-3 per cent stake in Carphone Warehouse, as the retail giant revealed that it is to slash jobs and capital expenditure amid the "most challenging environment" it has ever faced in the United States.