Microsoft said it has now sold 175m Windows 7 licences. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Microsoft added to the growing sense of recovery in the technology sector last night by reporting record quarterly revenues, driven by strong sales. The software giant pipped Apple, one of its greatest... 

We are all familiar with the concept of health insurance and most people have it in some form or another, but have you ever stopped to wonder how it all began? The idea of paying monthly or annual fees to cover the cost of our health issues seems to be a modern one, but the truth is that there is a long history... 

Actor Honor Blackman with protesters from the Equitable Members Action Group outside parliament last year in a demonstration against the lack of compensation for policyholders. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Victims of the Equitable Life scandal reacted with fury todayafter a government report suggested... 

A 4×4 vehicle in the making at a GM plant in Michigan. The car maker posted profits of .8bn in the first half of the year. Photograph: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images America’s biggest carmaker, General Motors, has taken the first step towards a stock market flotation barely a year after...