Business news 

ECB hopes rate cut sparks economies

Record three-quarter point cut in eurozone interest rates leads the way as banks attempt to limit effects of looming recession

General Motors and Ford say sorry over bailout

Car bosses seek $34 billion in emergency loans but promise sweeping changes and say they will take only $1 a year in pay

• US carmakers get $25bn bailout

• Volvo may be dumped as Ford pitches for bailout

Law firm bypasses banks to protect payouts

Addleshaw Goddard has paid its partners £12m in profits ahead of schedule so they can benefit from government guarantees

Sport News 

Button undone as Honda pull out

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will be without seats for next season unless a buyer for the Formula One team can be found

Pietersen’s lead buys England time

Team put on united front prior to departure for Abu Dhabi and plan collective decision after studying security report

James clanger signals end for Portsmouth

Wolfsburg 3 Portsmouth 2: goalkeeper commits comic error in second half which leads to premature Uefa Cup exit

Comment 

Barack Obama's political Who's Who

The President-elect's team includes familiar names, but that needn't stop him being an agent of change

• Gerard Baker

I'm earning virtually no interest at all

For savers it's a lot like being kicked in the face by someone whose job you've propped up for a decade

• Natalie Haynes

The wrong man for the Middle East

Tony Blair is too tainted by his past - and cannot even offer full-time commitment

• Richard Beeston

Life and Style 

How to cook turkey and other birds

Turkey is a favourite at Christmas but other birds can provide a seasonal treat. Five top chefs tell how to cook them

Why speed cameras hit over-60s hardest

Older drivers suffer most from technology that has no discretion

The difficulty in finding the finest olive oil

Oil pressed from the first green olives is a taste like no other. But fraud means that finding a good one is hard

Arts & Entertainment 

Behind the scenes on X Factor

X Factor singers now appear to dominate the charts. Peter Robinson pokes around behind the scenes of TV’s star machine

What makes a great Christmas song?

What ingredients do you need to cook up the great British Christmas song? Pete Paphides gets festive and gives it a go

Introducing YouTube's orchestra...

YouTube and the LSO have launched a collaborative online orchestra, appealing for the world’s undiscovered musical geniuses