Official figures to be released today are expected to show that the UK has officially exited from recession.

A consortium made up of Italy's Eni, California-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Korea Gas Corp. signed a final deal in Baghdad on Friday to develop the Zubair oil field in southern Iraq.  The deal is one of several that IraqÔÇÖs government hopes will transform it into a major global oil producer.  The consortium plans to invest approximately $20 billion into Zubair over the life of the 20-year contract, which has the potential to be extended to 25 years.

London-based marketing group Aegis has formed a joint venture with ChinaÔÇÖs Charm, one of the largest brokers to China Central Television.

UK gaming software provider Playtech has taken a significant step into the global lottery market by signing a deal with the US-based gaming services provider Scientific Games.  Playtech and New York-based Scientific Games will jointly develop and market internet and land based gambling products and services to gambling operators in the US and overseas.  The deal will see Playtech's business-to-business internet software and content combine with Scientific Games' government-compliant gambling equipment and instant tickets.

UK gaming software provider Playtech has taken a significant step into the global lottery market by signing a deal with the US-based gaming services provider Scientific Games.

Starbucks has posted earnings of $242 million for the last quarter of 2009, up from $64 million during the same period last year.

The number of people out of work in the UK fell by 7,000 to 2.46 millionÔÇöthe first decline in unemployment figures since the three months to May 2008, official figures have confirmed.

ConocoPhillips and Total are planning to quadruple capacity at their oil sands project near Fort McMurray in Alberta.  The second phase of the Surmont project will expand capacity from 27,000 to 110,000 barrels of bitumen per day by 2015.

The German automaker Volkswagen is building a plant in southern China to manufacture Seat brand cars, it has been reported.

Illinois-based Kraft Foods has confirmed it is finalizing a deal to take over the British confectioner Cadbury, bringing the four-month battle between the two companies to a close.