Upmarket US food chain Whole Foods says it will no longer sell goods made by prison labour after protests against the practice.

New consumer protection measures - including longer refund rights - come into force under the Consumer Rights Act.

Global equity markets end the third quarter with a flourish, many of them making gains of over 2% despite the biggest quarterly losses in four years.

Factory activity in China picks up in September, beating expectations, according to the government's official manufacturing survey.

Microsoft and Google agree to end a five-year battle over patents and say they will now work together on some fronts.

Japanese shares are higher despite a key quarterly survey showing business confidence among big manufacturers worsened in the third quarter.

Former Labour science minister Lord Drayson says his government made a mistake in promoting diesel cars as they are "killing people".

Confidence among UK manufacturers is 'low', export growth is falling away and jobs are being lost according to two surveys out on Wednesday.