Principal content
UK urges UN to call for sailors’ release
Britain is battling to overcome Russian and Chinese objections to secure Security Council backing for a UN declaration demanding the immediate release of the 15 naval personnel seized by Iran.
Sarkozy aims to block foreign takeovers
Condemns Arcelor sell-off as a ‘waste’
Global M&A volume tops $1,000bn
Cheap finance fuels record first quarter
Related content and features
DSG vigilant in Russia after French fraud
Scam wiped out £8m-£10m in profits
Blackstone to book profits earlier
Buy-out giant exploits new accounting rule
US push to stamp out overseas bribery
Companies face harsher enforcement
Paris and Berlin see sharp falls in jobless
ECB will see a strengthening case for further interest rate rises
US corporate profits fuel downturn fears
Companies’ share of overall GDP shrinking
Fischer quits Credit Suisse
Executive abrupt departure follows reshuffle
Profits rise at KarstadtQuelle
Mail order unit reports loss
Lex
Credit markets
Despite a growing chorus heralding the end of a four-year bull market, corporate spreads just kept on tightening.
Markets
Corporate profits pose question for markets

The main stock indices may yet be in the black for the first quarter. But a bigger question hangs over corporate profits, writes John Authers.
Comment
An alarm call for France that matters to the rest of the world

Mr Sarkozy, the conventional wisdom has it, would be good for France and, more importantly, good for the rest of us, writes Philip Stephens.