UNITED KINGDOM

Norwich Union will be offering a new tranche of its guaranteed fund it was announced today.

Consolidation in Europe's drugs sector gathered steam on Thursday as Germany's Merck unveiled a $13.3-billion deal to buy Europe's top biotech firm Serono, and Denmark's Nycomed won the drugs unit of Altana.

Britain's FTSE 100 pushed ahead on Thursday, buoyed by strong results and bullish earnings forecasts, but gains were capped by continued weakness in crude prices, hitting oil heavyweights and utilities.

Scottish and Southern Energy has confirmed today that it will keep its energy prices the same until the beginning of 2007.

Today the Department of Transport announced changes to airport security restrictions.

Takeover target Gondola Holdings said more restaurant openings were on the menu on Thursday after it posted a 4.1 percent rise in annual like for like sales.

Laura Ashley , the British retailer famed for its floral fabrics, said on Thursday it returned to profit and enjoyed strong sales in the first half of the year thanks to further cost cuts and strong demand.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets posted a return to profit in its first half and said on Thursday the second half had started well, sending its shares up 4.3 percent to a 28 month high.

Thailand's military coup leaders faced international calls for a swift return to democracy on Wednesday, after vowing to choose a new prime minister within two weeks to replace ousted Thaksin Shinawatra.

President Mobutu Sese Seko was said to have sipped pink champagne daily, hired Concorde to fly his family to New York to shop and bought numerous friends in high places, much of it with the help of foreign aid.

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s $276.5 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the costliest U.S. arms acquisition project, may be set back by moves in Congress to slow initial production, a top company official said on Wednesday.

Land Securities Group Plc has announced that the City of London Planning Committee resolved to grant it planning permission for its proposed development at 20 Fenchurch Street.

Ulster Television Plc (UTV) has today announced that it has written to the Board of SMG Plc to say that it will no longer be continuing with its merger proposal with them.

Standard Life is believed to be preparing a shake up of senior management that could include the exit of finance director Alison Reed

The UK's savings pot grew to its highest level this century in the second quarter of 2006, figures from industry body IFA Promotion (IFAP) show.

The FTSE 100 nosed up on Wednesday, weighed by heavyweight miners and by ex dividend stocks taking 1.4 points off the index but with Man rising.

Life insurer Resolution posted first half profit just above market forecasts on Wednesday, helped by growing asset management income

As the International Monetary Fund embarks on a second round of reforms to give developing countries more say in the institution, the World Bank signalled on Wednesday that it was ready to go the same route.

An agreement to boost the voting power of emerging nations in the International Monetary Fund is just the start of a difficult process, the IMF's head said on Wednesday, as the World Bank signaled it was ready to go the same route.

A group of nine of the world's biggest investment banks said on Tuesday they planned to set up a new system for reporting share trades, bypassing the major European stock exchanges and ahead of new European securities regulations due to come into force later this year.

India's leading consumer goods manufacturer, Videocon, is within an arm's length to acquiring South Korea's third largest electronics company, Daewoo Electronics, but certain riders attached by the ailing company relating to its takeover may persuade the Indian company to give it a second thought.