Strong smartphone sales help Samsung Electronics post its best quarterly results in more than two years.

Australian shares are higher after US central bank leaves rates on hold, while Japanese shares continue to be battered by yen strength.

Lloyds Banking Group says it will cut a further 3,000 jobs and close 200 more branches, even as it reports a doubling of pre-tax profits.

The number of people being declared insolvent rises by a fifth on a year ago - but low interest rates mean the total is still comparatively low.

Pinewood Group is set to sell its film and television studios, including the 007 stage, to a property investor for £323.3m

The International Monetary Fund was 'overly optimistic' about economic growth forecasts for countries that received major bailouts

Software giant Oracle announces it is buying NetSuite, a pioneer of the fast-growing world of cloud computing, in a deal worth $9.3bn.

Carmaker giant Ford has reported weaker-than-expected second quarter profits, in the face of stagnant US sales and a tougher market in China.