Facing tight credit markets and an economic slowdown, Ford, G.M., Chrysler and Toyota all reported selling far fewer vehicles than a year ago. Read more..

By BILL VLASIC and NICK BUNKLEY - The New York Times

Commerzbank on Monday became the first commercial lender in Germany to accept government cash, while several other European banks reported poor earnings. Read more..

By DAVID JOLLY - The New York Times

Britain’s small businesses are demanding cheaper credit and tax breaks after a multibillion-pound government bank bailout failed to immediately free up credit. Read more..

By JULIA WERDIGIER - The New York Times

Business travelers of all political affiliations reported an unusual amount of political conversation in the last few months from airplane seatmates. Read more..

By MARTHA C. WHITE - The New York Times

The private equity firm said it was delaying the purchase of a publicly listed affiliate until next year, a step it was to take before it could go public itself. Read more..

By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED - The New York Times

Governments around the world are stepping up efforts to prop up growth and cushion the impact of the financial crisis through various intervention mechanisms. Read more..

By VICTORIA BURNETT and BETTINA WASSENER - The New York Times

Among the reasons for the sharp drop in half year profits, the low-cost airlines cited higher fuel prices accounted for half of Ryanair’s operating costs in the time period. Read more..

By CAROLINE BROTHERS - The New York Times

The companies have offered to narrow the scope of the deal in a last-minute effort to win the approval of the Justice Department. Read more..

By MIGUEL HELFT - The New York Times

With hotel profits under siege, this is not the time to be making your most loyal customers unhappy. Read more..

By JOE SHARKEY - The New York Times

The experience of Zaragoza, the capital of Spain’s fastest-growing region, illustrates how the crisis is spreading beyond real estate and finance to fundamental sectors of the European economy. Read more..

By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ - The New York Times