More than five million cheques were written in 2015, confounding expectations that the payment method is disappearing, according to Payments UK.

Axa, the world's largest insurer, plans to stop investing in the tobacco industry to help highlight the human and economic cost of smoking.

Japanese shares have been pulled down by a sharp drop in the country's exports, which fell for the seventh consecutive month.

Treasury analysis says Brexit would tip the UK into a year-long recession, but Vote Leave dismisses the study as "deeply biased".

German drugs and chemicals company Bayer makes a $62bn offer for Monsanto, in a takeover bid that would create the world's biggest agricultural supplier.

Tata in India is expected to decide this week which bidders will go forward in the sale process for its UK steel operations.

Budget airline Ryanair says its average fare will fall 7% this year as it reports a huge rise in profit.

MPs are to examine the role that BHS directors and advisers played before the retailer was sold for £1 last year by Sir Philip Green.