UNITED KINGDOM

Banks' contribution to the economy may be hugely overstated, underscoring anger about the scale of taxpayer rescues and resultant government cutbacks, but a sharp retreat of banking worldwide looks painful for all and needs calibrating.

Asian shares fell and the euro trimmed gains on Wednesday as caution set in over the chance for more progress in resolving euro zone debt woes after officials agreed to strengthen a rescue fund and seek more aid from the International Monetary Fund.

China announced a new standard for defining poverty Tuesday as it seeks to bridge the gap between the country's wealthier and poorer classes.

The New York Film Critics Circle on Tuesday named silent film The Artist the best movie of the year, and gave its top acting honors to Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt.

The two countries have already significantly downgraded diplomatic and financial ties.

Forty-five percent of U.S. respondents reported that their organization had suffered fraud in the previous 12 months, compared to 35 percent in 2009. Economic pressures, incentives, and opportunities are a significant motivator for economic crime.

For Apple customers the disappointment of getting an iPhone 4S instead of a 5 was much like ripping off a Band Aid. The announcement came (on time) it was quick, painful and then people got over it. Verizon Galaxy Nexus fans; however, have taken one blow after another and still no official announcements have been made about the phone's release, which is causing loyal customers to look elsewhere.

Several airlines have cancelled flights in preparation for the Nov. 30 UK strike when Border Agency employees will walk off the job to protest pension reform.

Prince Harry of Wales' time in the United States has ended. The member of the British Royal Family and active duty member of the British Navy has finished his training stint in Arizona and is headed home to England.

An Australian airliner said a passenger's iPhone 4 started glowing red and smoking before a flight attendant doused the phone with a fire extinguisher.

The salary cap would save more than £1-billion by the 2014-15, Osborne claimed.

In a scene of anger that looked like a replay of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, dozens of hard-line Iranian students stormed the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, tearing down the Union Jack flag and flinging documents out of windows.

A host of young Korean stars are taking to the stage in London, New York and beyond in a bid to crack one of the final global frontiers for Asian culture -- pop music.

British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello has told fans not to buy a pricey limited edition box set of his music on sale next month, recommending they purchase some Louis Armstrong instead.

French spirits group Remy Cointreau said on Tuesday it was actively looking for acquisitions after cutting first-half debt and said it had the firepower to seal deals worth up to 800 million euros ($1.07 billion).

U.S. computer software company SAS Institute cannot claim copyright protection for the functions performed by its programs, which have been replicated by a rival, an adviser to Europe's highest court said.

George Harrison was, to many observers, the most ‘intriguing’ and ‘interesting’ Beatle since he seemed to have no comfortable ‘place’ in the group.

British finance minister George Osborne will pave the way for several more years of deep government spending cuts, when he reveals forecasts for much weaker growth and a borrowing overshoot of 86 billion pounds over the coming years.

Gold prices barely moved Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of a critical Eurozone meeting expected to approve a boost to the continent's bailout fund and OK the next tranche of aid to debt-choked Greece.

The complexity fills everybody with such appalling fear. ... The honest answer is that, like everybody else, you try and contingency plan for any breakup of the eurozone.

About $200 million in customer funds missing at MF Global may have surfaced at JP Morgan Chase in Britain, the New York Times said, citing people briefed on the matter.