UNITED KINGDOM

The highly anticipated Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine underwent public testing over the weekend to see how well it will respond to a mainstream audience.

The wireless chip firms ARM and ST-Ericsson said they expect market to improve in the second quarter, helped by clients restocking, but said the rest of 2009 looked uncertain.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for root and branch reform on Monday to defuse an expenses scandal that has damaged the main political parties and put pressure on parliament's most senior figure to quit.

The new flu strain is spreading widely in the United States and Japan and is likely to circulate worldwide, health officials said on Monday.

General Motors' Opel unit might make cars for other manufacturers if car parts maker Magna becomes its partner, German paper Welt am Sonntag reported, citing unidentified sources close to Magna.

Britain's ruling Labour party on Saturday suspended a second MP in an expenses scandal that has scarred parliament's reputation and sparked public rage, after he claimed thousands of pounds for a mortgage he had already paid off.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Friday renewed U.S. sanctions against Myanmar's military government, saying its actions and policies continued to pose a serious threat to U.S. interests.

A British government minister stepped down on Friday pending an investigation of allegations that he paid below-market rent for a house, the highest profile casualty so far of a growing expenses scandal.

Europe sank to what may have been the recession's low point in the first quarter of this year as tumbling German exports and investment plus further sharp drops in output elsewhere hastened the pace of a year-old contraction.

Corrects penultimate paragraph to say France's performance was notably stronger than that of Germany, Italy or Spain, not that it was France's worst quarter in six years

Britons angered by their lawmakers' lavish expense claims say they will exact revenge at the ballot box next month, with ruling Labor set to be the prime target.

Europe sank to what may have been the recession's low point in the first quarter of this year as tumbling German exports and investment plus further sharp drops in output elsewhere hastened the pace of a year-old contraction.

Western critics slammed Myanmar's ruling generals on Friday for pressing trumped-up new charges against detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but the move drew only a mild rebuke from Asian neighbors.

Europe sank to what may be the recession's low point in the first quarter of the year as tumbling German exports and investment plus further sharp drops in output elsewhere sped up the pace of a year-old contraction.

Miner Rio Tinto remains committed to a planned $19.5 billion tie-up with Chinese metals firm Chinalco, it said, responding to talk that the deal may be revised to let more shareholders take part in a rights issue.

Toyota is moving toward launching experimental plug-in hybrid vehicles in Europe in 2009 as part of a three-year lease trial, ahead of rival GM, which plans to introduce its own version in late 2010.

A proposed alliance between AMR Corp's American Airlines and British Airways would create a monster monopoly, British entrepreneur Richard Branson said on Thursday.

Britain's ruling Labor party suspended a senior lawmaker and a top aide to the opposition leader stepped down Thursday in a widening sleaze scandal that is alienating voters.

Oil prices fell toward $57 a barrel on Thursday, after a 1-percent plus decline the previous day, as equity markets slipped, weighing on optimism for economic recovery and energy demand.

Britain's BT Group cut its dividend and said a further 15,000 jobs would go after a 1.58 billion pound ($2.4 billion) write down and restructuring at its Global Services unit drove it to a fourth quarter loss.

Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, will start selling Hewlett-Packard Co's netbook computers from May 17, according to a statement from Verizon Wireless.