Brazil has lost its investment-grade credit rating following a downgrade by Standard & Poor's to "junk" status.

Sir Vince Cable has criticised government reforms of trade union laws as provocative, unnecessary, vindictive and ideologically driven.

Markets in Asia moved mostly into negative territory on Thursday after New York closed lower after a drop in Apple shares

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says the country is on track to meet all its economic targets this year despite fears of a deepening slowdown.

Sharply rising food prices in China pushed up inflation to a one-year high in the world's second largest economy.

Supermarket chain Morrisons is to close 11 stores with the potential loss of 900 jobs as part of its plans to turn the company's fortunes around.

The retailer Next sets out the effect it thinks the government's National Living Wage will have on its prices by 2020.

The FTSE 100 index was almost 1% lower in early trade, with supermarket Morrisons among the biggest fallers.