UNITED KINGDOM

Madonna and ex-husband Guy Ritchie had apparently had a fall-out over their 10-year-old son Roco's birthday party arrangement.

A rebound in the cross-border mergers and acquisitions market would be the major driver of the world economic growth in foreign direct investment (FDI), said UNCTAD's survey.

With little fanfare, equity markets have started to rally, investors have become sated with government bonds and cash levels are high enough to prompt a search for better yield.

Britain's leading share index hit a near four-month closing high on Friday after a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report eased concerns of the world's largest economy slipping back to another recession.

Britain's leading share index hit a more than three-week high on Friday as the market looks beyond a weak employment picture in the United States after factoring in a soft patch in the pace of the economic recovery.

Campbell Soup Co posted lower-than-expected quarterly sales and forecast sales growth for the new fiscal year below its long-term target as the world's largest soup company grapples with a weak economy.

Concerns over Israeli access to BlackBerry data, and the use of the device by the United States to spy on the United Arab Emirates are behind the Gulf state's moves to curb the smartphone, Dubai's police chief said.

British service sector activity grew last month at its slowest pace since April 2009, with a marked fall in hiring as employers worried about an economic slowdown and public spending cuts, a survey showed on Friday.

The marriage of X Factor judge and pop singer Cheryl Cole and her England soccer player husband Ashley ended in divorce after four years on Friday.

Metro Bank, Britain's first new high street retail bank in more than 100 years, said on Friday it was ahead of its own targets for new account openings at its flagship branch.

People who take a commonly used class of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates for more than five years may be doubling their risk of developing cancer of the gullet or esophagus, a British study found on Friday.

Global service sector surveys highlighted a growing divergence in economic recovery on Friday with a pick up in growth in China and Germany but slowdowns in Britain and Spain and an expected deceleration in the United States.

Alcohol consumption in Britain saw its sharpest decline in more than 60 years in 2009 in contrast to the perception that the country has a growing drink problem, the British Beer & Pub Association said on Friday.

Banks said they need to be more open about the size of their bonus pools and the methodology for paying star bankers, after making progress in other areas of reforming pay structures.

Metro Bank, whose launch in July marked the birth of Britain's first new high street retail bank in more than 100 years, said on Friday it was creating 100 new jobs.

Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif face possible life bans after they were charged on Thursday under the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code.

Hollywood is singing with record revenue despite registering a five-year drop in movie attendance. According to Hollywood box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, the profit went up $100 million up from last year.

Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif will miss Pakistan's one-day series against England after pressure from the English and international governing bodies.

Royal Bank of Scotland announced thousands of new job cuts on Thursday as the part-nationalised bank continues with its drive to trim costs and improve its profitability.

Pakistan withdrew test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif from the tour of England on the advice of the International Cricket Council, a source in the team said on Thursday.

Royal Bank of Scotland announced thousands of new job cuts on Thursday as the part-nationalised bank continues with its drive to trim costs and improve its profitability.