UNITED KINGDOM

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co <4502.T>, Japan's largest drugmaker, will announce the 1 trillion yen ($12 billion) purchase of closely held Swiss rival Nycomed on Wednesday as it seeks to expand in Europe and emerging markets, Japanese business daily Nikkei reported.

Asia shares rose from a six-week low Wednesday, led by consumer stocks, but disappointing U.S. data have made some investors reluctant to follow commodity prices higher, containing a bounce in risky assets from currencies to oil.

UK competition authorities are to probe the stranglehold of the world's biggest accountancy firms on British blue-chip company audits after finding evidence of anti-competitive behavior.

Legendary British rock star Morrissey, a long-time strident critic of the British Royal Family, has renewed his venomous attacks on the Windsor Monarchy amidst Queen Elizabeth II’s historic visit to the Irish Republic.

Smartphones using Intel's mobile processors will go on sale early next year and the world's biggest chipmaker is also on track with processors for tablets, Chief Executive Paul Otellini said on Tuesday.

Francois Fillon, the French prime minister, has warned that if the sexual assault charges against Strauss-Kahn are true, there can be no excuse for his actions and that he cannot be pardoned.

There are two carved-in-granite long-term economic trends; one of them being the decline of the dollar and the other one being war. I think those are locked in, and so I recommend people buy investments that do well during wartime or during periods of currency debasement, which we have.

Vodafone, the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, surprised investors with an upbeat outlook for 2012 on Tuesday after posting resilient results driven by customers upgrading to smartphones.

Amid a huge security lockdown, Queen Elizabeth II arrived in the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, starting the first visit by a British Monarch since its independence in 1921.

Gold Bullion prices were little changed below $1500 per ounce on Tuesday morning, but fell for non-US investors as the Dollar eased back on the currency market and European equity markets cut their earlier losses.

Vodafone, the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, issued a bullish outlook for 2012 on Tuesday after posting resilient full-year results boosted by customers upgrading to smartphones.

Improvised explosive devices were found on a Dublin-bound bus and at a tram stop near Dublin hours before the British Queen was to land in the city, the first time in 100 years for a British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland.

Japanese stocks held steady on Tuesday after early losses on signs of a slowdown in the U.S. economic recovery and oil fell for a second session as the dollar edged higher on euro debt concerns.

Hillary, in an unprecedented act of hypocrisy, denounced China for human rights violations. This from a country that has violated the human rights of millions of victims in our own time in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, secret CIA prisons dotted all over the planet, in US courts of law, and in the arrests and seizure of documents of American war protestors.

Unlawful Killing, the documentary by Keith Allen on the death of Princess Diana caused outrage in Britain as never-before seen footage of the accident was released on May 13 at the 2011 Cannes festival.

Dignity in Dying, a British movement group, has supported the Swiss voters’ decision to decline talks of banning assisted suicides for non-residents, a report said.

The stock market performance of major stock indices in 2011 may shock you. One of the best-performing markets is the US. That’s right – the lumbering, deficit ridden, and low-growth giant.

Facebook admitted this week that it hired a high-powered public relations firm to smear competitor Google, using what one insider calls furtive and creepy tactics.

Watch the YouTube video showing William & Kate movie trailer.

The Libyan rebels met with U.S. officials at the White House on Friday, but the delegation failed to get recognition as the sole council to take over power.

Have you dreamt of hooking up with Lady Gaga? Now is the time as she confirms her relationship with boyfriend heavy metal drummer Luc Carl is over. Gaga and Carl have been dating off and on for years but the latest break up was revealed on the England’s The Graham Norton Show.