The charity StepChange reports a 77% rise in the number of households wanting help with council tax arrears.

The UK housing market's recent surge in demand is showing signs of easing off, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says.

Japanese electronics firm Panasonic announces it will pay its staff working in China a premium to compensate them for high levels of pollution.

More than £446m is expected to be paid out to people whose homes and businesses were damaged in the severe winter floods, insurers say.

New Zealand's Fonterra pleads guilty to four food-safety violations following a botulism scare last year that led to recalls of milk products in China.

China's industrial output and retail sales grow less than expected, figures show, adding to fears of a slowdown.

Supermarket Morrisons reports a £176m loss, announces a major restructuring plan and warns of lower profits to come.

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell says it has laid "firm foundations for the future" after "disappointing financial results" in 2013.