Business Briefing: The top stories you need to know

Good morning

Aer Lingus looks set to provide us all with some festive takeover drama. A big name cast includes suitor IAG, the British Airways parent led by Willie Walsh, the Government with its 25 per cent stake, and a potential kingmaker in the form of long-term arch-rival Ryanair. Barry O'Halloran outlines the story so far and the potential plot twists ahead.

The Government, meanwhile, released its revised Budget estimates yesterday. Arthur Beesley has the details.

The Russian economy could take up to two years to emerge from its economic woes, warned president Vladimir Putin. Isabel Gorst reports from Moscow on Russia's moves to stabilise the rouble while Dan McLaughlin explains why Putin is caught in the perfect storm of sanctions and plummeting oil prices.

Permanent TSB has had its plan to plug the 855 million euro capital hole identified in pan-European bank stress tests in October "endorsed" by the supervisory board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism, the EU body now responsible for financial regulation of euro zone banks. Ciaran Hancock reports.

Today we’ll be watching as the plot unfolds in the Aer Lingus story while reporting on the latest travails of the Russian rouble. After Wednesday’s launch of the Blackberry Classic - a smartphone throwback to the company’s glory days of old - we will also report on its third quarter results as it attempts to make a phoenix-like recovery.

John McManus

Business Editor