... Off. � Markets tumble after unexpected China figures � China factory activity falls for first time in 7 months � Stop picking on UK companies - SSE � Head of Waitrose Mark Price refuses to meet me.

The route has been axed after the Exeter-based company sold its runway slots at Gatwick Airport. It is understood some of the company's more profitable routes from the London base have been sold to Easyjet.

Behind closed doors at the fund's Washington headquarters, Mr Osborne challenged Olivier Blanchard, IMF chief economist, about the Frenchman's comments that Britain was �playing with fire� over its austerity drive, setting up a battle over the impending IMF ...

Its newly created Financial Policy Committee announced that the big UK banks were short of capital to protect themselves against potential future losses and then quantified that gap as �25bn that needed to be raised by the end of this year.

The pound slammed into reverse on Wednesday as a sharp fall in high street sales dented hopes Britain is on the road to a steady recovery.