The number of people struggling with payday loans has risen by 42% in the past year, according to the debt charity StepChange.

Gordon Brown says an independent Scotland would become "an international outcast" if it refused to accept a share of UK debt.

A British activist who campaigns for better labour conditions is set to go on trial in Thailand charged with criminal defamation.

President Barack Obama says he will continue to press Congress to raise the federal minimum wage in line with recent economic improvements.

Japanese wages unexpectedly log their strongest increase since 1997, which may provide a boost to consumer confidence and spending.

A plan for an island airport in the Thames Estuary, dubbed "Boris Island", is rejected by the commission looking into the UK's airport needs.

Water shortages could hinder fracking for shale oil and gas in many parts of the world, the World Resources Institute says.

Australia scraps a controversial mining tax after the government strikes a deal with business tycoon Clive Palmer's political party.