Companies around the world have begun bidding for the chance to develop some of IraqÔÇÖs oil and gas reserves, almost 40 years after the countryÔÇÖs energy sector was nationalised.

Software giant Microsoft is planning to sell its digital advertising and marketing agency Razorfish, the Financial Times (FT) reports.

US coffee retail giant Starbucks has announced it will sell Fairtrade Rwandan coffee in its UK and Ireland outlets from early next year.

Mobile phone operator Vodafone is considering making a bid to buy T-Mobile UK, the Financial Times (FT) reported today. Vodafone, which is the worldÔÇÖs largest mobile phone operator by revenue, is said to be interested in making an offer for T-Mobile UK, or setting up a joint venture. T-Mobile has an estimated value of Ôé¼3 billion to Ôé¼4 billion (┬ú2.5 billion to ┬ú3.4 billion). If Vodafone did buy T-Mobile, the company would become the UKÔÇÖs largest mobile operator, claiming a 40 per cent market share.

Australian airline Qantas has cancelled an order for 15 of Boeing's Dreamliner 787 aircraft, it announced today.  Qantas ordered the Dreamliners in December 2005.

France may sell 15 per cent of the nuclear energy group Areva to investors in Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere, the Financial Times reported today.

A report by the UN has stressed the importance of regional integration in Africa during the economic downturn.

US trade officials have called on China to scrap its controversial plans to put net-filtering software on all its computers, saying that to do so would violate its free trade obligations. China has demanded that all computers sold in the country come supplied with software called Green Dam from July 1, saying that the scheme will protect its young net-users, who make up the worldÔÇÖs largest online population.

General Motors (GM) has called for improved offers for its German arm Opel, to rival the bid it has received from Canadian-Austrian automotive company Magna International.┬á  It is believed that Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company aims to submit its own bid during July. Executives from GM in Europe met with representatives of Beijing Auto earlier this week after the Chinese company, which is government-owned, expressed renewed interest in purchasing Opel.