Business news 

Dragons’ Den judge exits Woolworths bid race

Theo Paphitis will not buy part of the collapsed high street chain after failing to reach an agreement on price

House prices fall at fastest pace in 25 years

Property values plunge 16.1 per cent, surpassing declines recorded in Britain's last recession during the early 1990s

• New car sales in November plunge 36.8%

• Emergency rescue for mortgage defaulters

New car sales in November plunge 37%

Dire industry figures could trigger further production cuts as carmakers appeal to Government for financial help

Sport News 

Button undone as Honda pull out

Financial crisis claims high-profile victim as Japanese car giant withdraws from Formula One due to collapse in car sales

Pietersen’s strong 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 

Irresistible financial force will prevail

Economic paralysis seems like an immovable object. But dramatic interest rate cuts can shift it

• Anatole Kaletsky

Arrogant and joyless: Obama's take on Britain?

The President-elect's writings seem to be coloured by his grandfather's brutal treatment at the hands of the colonists

• Ben Macintyre

You're dumb if you think we're all dumber

The evidence is all around us that intellectual standards are rising and that we shouldn't believe the doom-mongers

• Tim de Lisle

Life and Style  

How to cook turkey, game 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