Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez bequeaths a nation beset by crumbling infrastructure, unsustainable public spending and underperforming industry.

The poorest 10% of car-owning households in the UK are spending more than a quarter of their disposable income on buying and running a vehicle, research suggests.

Shares in commodities trader Glencore rise 1.9% and mining group Xstrata gain 2.5% as they both update the market ahead of their merger.

Asian stocks continue a global rally after New York's main Dow Jones share index hits a record high.

The government is due to announce strict rules that will govern the behaviour of payday lenders

Samsung Electronics agrees a deal to buy a 3% stake in struggling Japanese electronics maker Sharp for 10.4bn yen ($110m; £75m).

Average childcare costs across England, Scotland and Wales rose by £5 a week (or 6%) per child from 2011 to 2012, according to the Daycare Trust's annual survey.

Tourism bosses hope a beach airport in the Western Isles will help to attract more visitors to Scotland from Brazil.