UNITED KINGDOM

Hong Kong was named the best city in the world for financial market development, beating out perennial front runners New York and London.

Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext have stepped up their lobbying with an advertising campaign to pressure EU regulators and secure approval for their $9 billion merger.

A French museum paid 691,000 pounds ($1.1 million) on Thursday for a miniature manuscript written by Charlotte Bronte, ending hopes it would return to the British author's former home that is now a museum.

U.S. overspending on the military has diverted resources from civilian / social investments, including public goods, weakening the U.S. economy, and, by extension weakening the nation. If it doesn’t substantially cut defense spending, the U.S.’s empire will likely share the fate of two other empires that overspent on the military -- the British Empire and the Soviet Union.

The wish of the anxious Android fans was fulfilled on Dec. 15 (Thursday) as Verizon began selling the long-awaited Android 4.0-powered (Ice Cream Sandwich) Galaxy Nexus. The handset sells for $299 with a 2-year Verizon contract. No doubt, it will get scooped up like hot cakes as the smartphone is being touted as an iPhone killer but the billion dollar question is - is it really worth buying?

The most wanted Android smartphone, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), will finally hit Verizon Wireless stores on Thursday (Dec. 15) and will sell for $299.99 with a two-year contract. The Verizon version of Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be available in Verizon stores across the US and online starting from 1 a.m. EST.

Bankrupt American Airlines' $30 million London townhouse was apparently overlooked in cost-cutting efforts.

France's telecoms regulator has received bids from all of the country's major operators for a second batch of higher-quality fourth-generation mobile licenses and will choose winners in the coming weeks.

Cricket risks killing the goose that lays the golden egg if it disrespects fans by scheduling too many meaningless international matches, former India captain Rahul Dravid has said.

Greece, one of the worst hit countries in the Eurozone crisis, may begin official negotiations to exit the Eurozone in 2012, according to Oliver Pursche, co-portfolio manager of GMG Defensive Beta Fund.

British fashion label Cunnington and Sanderson has received On |Off’s Visionary Award for 2011.

A downgrade of France's AAA credit rating would not be justified and ratings agencies are making decisions based more on politics than economics, European Central Bank policymaker Christian Noyer said on Thursday.

Ford is using a smartphone and tablet app to draw interest to its new Ford Fusion that it will unveil in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Mekeeda Austin, 13, wrote a letter to Santa asking for two items for Christmas this year: A BlackBerry smartphone and the real-life Justin Bieber. As ridiculous as these requests were, Austin went one step further; She told Santa, Remember...two of these, or you die.

Chipmaker Intel is combining four divisions under a new mobile and communications unit in a bid to catch up in smartphones and tablets, where it has so far failed to gain traction.

A book with wine is mighty fine.

The International Monetary Fund's chief economist cautioned on Wednesday against imposing tough austerity measures too quickly and instead favors a longer process as countries around the world grapple with high debt levels.

Armed gang members who stole more than $3 million (£2million) in holiday spending money from the Dubai Royal Family while it was being loaded into a car are currently on trial.

Almost a quarter of the European Union's 500 million people have never used the Internet and there is a widening division between the web-savvy north of Europe and the poorer south and east, figures released on Wednesday showed.

The Iron Lady opens in theaters on Dec. 30.

Starting next year, fees in English universities will be as high as £9,000 ($13,946) per year -- almost triple the current maximum charge.