The head of the mobile phone network Three warned that auctioning off Britain's radio frequency spectrum could destabilise "fragile" competition in the UK and potentially see his company drop out of the market altogether.

The owner of Orange and T-Mobile can finally meet European competition regulations and sell off spectrum, after Ofcom approved a trading mechanism for the commodity that is crucial to the mobile industry.

Betfair, the biggest online betting company, will hand over a £6m lump sum to the Horserace Betting Levy Board this month.

A system to clean massive amounts of contaminated water at the site of Japan's nuclear disaster was shut down today, just hours after it began full operations, because a component filled with radioactivity much more quickly than expected.

The rise of UK shoppers paying for goods with a wave of their mobile phones is set to accelerate after the three largest operators teamed up to launch a mobile commerce venture.

Britain's biggest mobile phone networks yesterday denied claims by a senior police officer that Scotland Yard had "ensured" that the operators contacted all potential victims of voicemail hacking.

The landlords of care homes operator Southern Cross have thrown the stricken company a lifeline by saying they are prepared to make significant financial concessions to the company.

Struggling British care provider Southern Cross expects to retain control of most of its homes and their residents need not worry about being abandoned, Chairman Christopher Fisher said today.

Train travellers, who sometimes feel their journeys are by cattle class, have been given a new excuse for delays - cows on the line.

Glencore was yesterday said to be considering a £12bn takeover of ENRC, the mining group reeling from a boardroom bust-up.

The beleaguered care home operator Southern Cross Healthcare is finalising plans to give up the management of some of its homes to rival care operators and landlords.

Britain's largest care home provider, Southern Cross Healthcare, is planning to return one in five of its care homes to its landlords, potentially causing disruption to thousands of elderly residents.

Embattled care home provider Southern Cross Healthcare is planning to return 132 of its properties to landlords in a move that could cause disruption for hundreds of residents, it was reported today.

Everything Everywhere, the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile, is set to expand its presence on the UK high street with plans to launch 30 new stores this year.