Morning Business News, Thursday 24 June: BP Plc, Rio Tinto, Travelodge, Soros vs Germany and Osborne.

BP Plc (LON:BP) shares are just 0.22% lower in early morning trade on the FTSE 100 - this after BP indicated that it has resumed collecting oil from its Gulf of Mexico leaking well after an accident left oil gushing largely unchecked.

Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) confirmed yesterday that the Guinean government had threatened to strip the company of its stake in a huge iron ore project in the West African country. The dispute centres on the miner's failure to acknowledge an earlier decision to remove part of the project from Rio's control, writes the Independent.

Travelodge

The head of the Travelodge budget hotel chain has criticised a declaration by Whitbread, which owns the Premier Inn brand, that it might be interested in making a bid for its smaller rival, writes the Times.

Stagecoach

The chief executive of Stagecoach has called on the Government to protect subsidies for bus travel and to cut roadbuilding and rail costs, says the TImes

Osborne onslaught

George Osborne has heralded a fresh onslaught on Britain’s £200bn welfare bill, in an attempt to prevent his deficit reduction plan inflicting serious damage on the underlying economy, writes the FT.

Soros vs Germany

Legendary investor George Soros has called on Germany to leave the euro unless it willing to embrace a growth strategy, describing Berlin’s austerity doctrine as a threat to democracy and political stability in Europe, says the Telegraph.