UNITED KINGDOM

Registration of European passenger cars slumped by 16.6 percent in October against the numbers recorded in the corresponding period a year ago

Swiss pharma giant Roche said it plans to cut 4,800 jobs worldwide over the next two years due to mounting cost pressures in healthcare -particularly in the US and Europe - and increasing hurdles for the approval and pricing of new medicines.

The number of unemployed people in the UK fell by 9,000 to 2.45 million during three months to September, bringing the unemployment rate down by 0.1 percent to 7.7 percent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Wednesday.

Prince William’s royal wedding with his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, can boost UK tourism, a top UK tourism official has predicted. The speculation is being made as the couple announced their engagement on Tuesday.

British credit information group Experian Plc said its benchmark pretax profit grew 12 percent in the first half as it reported its best organic revenue growth in four years. The company lifted its first interim dividend by 29 percent to 9 cents.

ICAP Plc, the world’s largest broker of transactions between banks, reported good revenue and earnings growth for the first half despite quieter markets, mainly driven by its strong electronic broking franchise.

According to government figures, in 2008, merchandise shipped into the U.S. by airplane accounted for 20 percent of the nation’s imports, with a value of $417 billion. That’s a great deal of items and only one, or two, would have to explode to have, through terror, a crippling effect upon the nation’s economy, to say nothing of the nation’s spirit.

Federal officials urged states to take action on passing traffic safety laws on Tuesday, as a new study found the United States was lagging in reducing traffic fatalities compared with other high-income nations.

How much was accomplished at the just-concluded G20 summit in Seoul, South Korea likely depends upon whom you are asking. While some observers feel the summit cannot really do anything to address the fundamental differences between diametrically opposed economies (see: U.S. vs. China), others feel that progress of any such summit has to be measured in slow, patient doses.

Chelsea are dealt with another blow in the form skipper John Terry's injury which could rule him out for months.

Taking home less in benefits was the fitting catharsis for the bankers whose hubris was a generous sanctioning of risky loans, it was agreed. And it made everyone, except the bankers, happy. But the there is a twist in the tale.

U.K. law firm Norton Rose has expanded its presence in Canada and South Africa by agreeing to merge with Ogilvy Renault and Deneys Reitz respectively.

Storied Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who faces trial in the U.S. for plotting to kill Americans by making weapons available to terror outfits, was extradited to the U.S. on Tuesday, almost three months after a Thai court overturned his plea contesting an earlier extradition verdict.

Turkish Airlines is mulling over starting flights from destinations in South India, Levent Bilman, Turkish Ambassador to India, told ENS, adding that this would connect Indian travelers to 93 places across Europe.

Inflation in the U.K. rose during October, mainly pushed by fuel and lubricant prices, a report by the U.K. Office for National Statistics.

British Land Co Plc reported a lower first half underlying pretax profit as the year-ago period benefited from the release of credit risk provision.

Beer can manufacturer Rexam Plc said trading for the period since July 1 has been in line with its expectations, and it expects second half results to be similar to those of the first.

* GBP/USD immediate target downside around 1.60, next 1.58 * Sterling hit by weak housing data while dollar awaits better sales figures * US Fed's Lacker, Treasury's Brainard to speak on Monday

The euroarea reported a trade surplus for the month of September, according to a report by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

After being dethroned by China as the world's fastest supercomputer maker, US has upped the ante and is creating two 20-petaflop supercomputers to reclaim the top position for the most powerful supercomputer.

British housebuilder Persimmon Plc confirmed that current trading in line with expectations, and it still expects sales revenue to rise about 10 percent this year.