UNITED KINGDOM

Former media mogul Conrad Black is guilty of criminal fraud and obstruction of justice but innocent of racketeering, a U.S. jury found on Friday.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown denied on Friday a shift in foreign policy away from the United States after one of his ministers told an audience there that a country's strength depended on alliances not military might.

The Indian government has rescued a rare manuscript of a letter Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi wrote 19 days before his assassination in 1948 from being auctioned by British auction house Christie's and has paid a confidential sum for it.

An experimental cancer drug from Britain's Antisoma Plc and Swiss-based Novartis AG has failed in a mid-stage clinical trial for ovarian cancer, lopping 15 percent off Antisoma's market value.

HD DVD video players have outsold rival standard Blu-ray players by a three-to-one margin in Europe's main markets so far this year, according to a lobby group.

A fat tax on salty, sugary and fatty foods could save thousands of lives each year, according to a study published on Thursday.

The Dutch Supreme Court will issue its ruling on ABN AMRO's suspended sale of its U.S. unit LaSalle on Friday and the decision could sway an acrimonious takeover battle for the Dutch bank.

BHP Billiton Ltd/Plc, the world's biggest miner, is in talks with private equity firms to team up for a possible $40 billion bid for U.S. aluminum company Alcoa Inc., the Times said on Tuesday.

UK private equity firm Cinven is buying Spain's USP Hospitales for 675 million euros ($920 million) to expand its private hospital portfolio after acquiring 25 in Britain less than a month ago.

French food group Danone offered 12.3 billion euros ($16.8 billion) for Dutch rival Numico to forge what it said will be the world's largest health and nutrition company.

An escalating dispute between Airbus and jet-engine supplier General Electric Co could delay deliveries of the European airplane maker's A350 extra wide body jet, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday.

Roche Holding AG has signed a deal worth up to $1 billion with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., giving it access to the U.S. firm's skills in the new science of RNA interference.

The dollar fell against the euro on Friday after an unexpectedly strong U.S. jobs report failed to change views that U.S. interest rates will stay on hold this year while overseas rates rise.

The Harry Potter author reveals broke down in tears during the completion of her final book in the series.

Rivals tout designs by Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and Kate Moss, but Spanish fashion retailer Zara wants no part of it.

U.S. Treasury debt prices fell on Thursday, following the lead of weaker euro zone debt and after stronger-than-expected U.S. data on jobs and the services sector.

Shares of Apple Inc. rose more than 4 percent to an all-time high on Thursday as investors bet on strong demand for its media-playing iPhone and speculation mounted over plans to sell the device in Europe.

Zimbabwe authorities ordered businesses on Thursday to stop selling basic goods in bulk to avert shortages after an official price freeze triggered a frenzied buying spree that has emptied most shop shelves.

BMW, the world's largest premium carmaker, and its closest rival, Mercedes-Benz, are in negotiations over a partnership to build subcompact cars, German motor magazine Auto Bild reported.

Sterling jumped to a 26-year high versus the dollar for a third day on Wednesday, vaulting $2.02 and showing no signs of vertigo so far against a broadly weak dollar that stayed near record lows versus the euro.

Britain's leading share index had edged higher by midday on Wednesday, led by hotel groups after Blackstone agreed to buy Hilton, but overall activity was thin as U.S. markets are closed for a holiday and investors await an interest rate decision on Thursday.