The 10 biggest business stories on Monday December 21

Scandal-hit Toshiba is cutting nearly 7,000 jobs; Rail industry faces complains over payouts for delays; Star Wars: The Force Awakens makes £375m in worldwide debut

(Reuters)

1. Brent futures fell around 2 per cent to as low as $36.06 per barrel on Monday, the weakest since July 2004 and below even the $36.20 mark reached during the peak of the global financial crisis of 2008.

2. Scandal-hit Toshiba is cutting nearly 7,000 jobs after projecting a net loss of 550 billion yen ($4.53 billion) for the fiscal year through March 2016.

3. Train companies will have to face complains into claims they are making it too difficult for delayed rail passengers to receive compensation, according to consumer group Which?

4. Netflix paid no UK corporation tax last year, according to a Sunday Times investigation. It generated an estimated £200 million ($298.5 million) of revenue in Britain last year but any profits from the UK in 2014 were booked overseas.

5. Japanese electronics maker Panasonic has agreed to buy a majority stake in US refrigeration systems maker Hussmann from a private equity firm for over 150 billion yen (£828.49 million), people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

6. Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson on Monday said it has signed a patent license agreement with Apple but did not specify how much it would earn from the deal.

7. Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical entrepreneur facing US charges of securities fraud, has said he had been the target of legal authorities for his much-criticized drug-price hikes and his over-the-top public persona, the Wall Street Journal reported.

8. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” shattered opening weekend box-office records in North America pulling in $238 million (£158 million). The film made $517 million (£375 million) in its worldwide debut, coming in just behind Jurassic World's $574 million (£387) record.

9. Netplay TV calls for shares suspension as it confirms it has held discussions with the board of Sportech in relation to a potential acquisition of the football pools business.

10. There’s another indication UK interest rates are unlikely to move higher in the future, according to the Daily Telegraph after it has interviewed Martin Weale, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates. “The factors pushing down on inflation have become a bit more prolonged,” Weale told the Telegraph.