Zambeef, a fully integrated agri-business with operations in Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana, has been hit with a $10.7m bill from the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), for an outstanding tax liability relating to Zamanita, the company's wholly-owned subsidiary involved in edible oil seed crushing, importing and processing.

South African savings, investments and insurance group Old Mutual has announced plans to pay a special dividend of 18p per share out of the proceeds from the sale of its Nordic business.

Waste energy group Kedco has generated £0.403m after placing 31m new ordinary shares at 1.3p each. The proceeds of the placing will be used for working capital purposes and for continuing investment in the company's portfolio of biomass electricity and heat generation projects. Shares fell 18.75% to 1.62p.

Walker Crips, the integrated financial services group, admitted that trading during the third quarter remained weak, with group net revenue down 9.8% to £3.76m.

G4S, the security firm, has once again pulled out of an attempt to buy out another company, though this one is on a much smaller scale than its aborted bid for ISS last year.

Diversified recruitment and outsourcing business Network Group has come to an agreement with NGH Topco on a recommended cash offer of £19.6m for the entire share capital of Network.

Shares in Tullow Oil rose on Friday morning after the firm signed two new production sharing agreements (PSAs) with the government of Uganda, covering the EA-1 and Kanywataba licences in the Lake Albert Rift Basin.

The future of GAME Group, the struggling computer gaming retailer, looks secure for a while yet as the company revealed it is confident it will pass its latest banking covenant tests after agreeing new facilities with its lenders.

Builders' merchant Travis Perkins said the Office of Fair Trading intends to look into the company taking full control of hardware supplier Toolstation.

Electronic products distributor Electrocomponents has seen revenues grow 4% in the four months to January 31st, with strong growth internationally offsetting a more subdued performance in the UK.

Barclays Capital will reduce the number of "senior bankers" in its investment banking arm by 5%, Bloomberg TV is reporting.

Specialist bank and asset manager Investec saw assets under management (AUM) nudge slightly higher in the nine months to December 31st, helped by its recent acquisition of Evolution.

Gold miner Centamin has upped its stake in Nyota Minerals after agreeing to buy 67m new shares in the AIM-listed gold mining company.

Telecoms giant BT saw revenue fall 5% in the third quarter, while profits jumped 48%.

Bid speculation seems to permanently surround financial software provider Misys of late and it appears that there is no smoke without fire, as the group has confirmed it is in talks with a suitor.

Admiral is extending its existing UK car insurance reinsurance partnerships with Hannover Re, Mapfre Re, New Re and Swiss Re until 2014.

Fusion IP, which commercialises university research, has announced that its portfolio company Mesuro has taken orders for $1.25m of new sales of its RF equipment technology in the last quarter of the year.