BP blame

The new administrator for claims by Gulf oil spill victims says it was his idea, not BP’s, to re quire that anyone who receives a final settle ment from the $20 billion compensation fund give up the right to sue the oil giant. Ken Feinberg told reporters yesterday that he has not yet decided whether the no-sue re quirement will extend to other companies.

Soup’s on

Campbell Soup is weighing a bid worth $2.3 billion to acquire the biscuit-making operations of British-based United Biscuits, which accounts for 75 percent of the firm’s total business, according to reports. Campbell isn’t interested in the snack-making part of the UK company, which was acquired in 2006 by Blackstone Group and Paris-based PAI Partners.

Virgin time

Virgin Atlantic’s pilots union wants to make a deal, and avoid a strike vote, before tomorrow’s last-ditch talks to settle a dispute over time off.

Swatch this!

Swatch, the world’s largest watchmaker, is expected to post record sales of about $5.82 bil lion this year, and aims to top the results in 2011, the group’s new chairwoman, Nayla Hayek, said yester day.