UNITED KINGDOM

Asian stocks rose to a two-week high, with Japan's Nikkei briefly rising more than 2 percent, as strong U.S. manufacturing data further soothed worries about the global economy.

Staff at Britain's BBC voted on Wednesday to strike in protest against the state-funded broadcaster's plans to reduce a large pension deficit by capping the growth of pensionable pay, unions said.

M&A talk among the travel, telecoms and mining sectors helped Britain's top shares to their biggest daily gain in almost two months on Wednesday, as strong manufacturing data from the U.S. and China boosted sentiment.

Teenage singing star Justin Bieber wants to star in the remake the 1978 musical hit Grease along with Miley Cyrus and Susan Boyle. Susan Boyle is the singing sensation from the reality show UK's got Talent.

A former hedge fund manager has been accused by a U.S. regulator of illegal insider trading in MedImmune Inc securities prior to the acquisition of the pharmaceutical company by Britain's AstraZeneca Plc.

A cooling global economy and an impending austerity squeeze in Britain will make the Bank of England wait well into next year before hiking interest rates, a Reuters poll of 60 economists showed on Wednesday.

The meeting between the three Pakistan players at the centre of spot-fixing allegations and the country's High Commissioner has been postponed until Thursday, officials said on Wednesday.

Adam Sandler's new comedy Grown Ups has knocked Sylvester Stallone's latest mercenary action movie off the UK box office top spot after just one week, according to Screen International on Wednesday.

An intact Roman lantern made of bronze, believed by experts to be the only one of its kind in Britain, has been unearthed in a field by a metal-detecting enthusiast.

Manufacturing in China, India and Russia powered ahead in August while growth slowed in European factories, emphasising a growing divide in the pace of recovery between the rich and emerging worlds.

At least four retailers from Europe and Asia are poised to submit first-round bids for Carrefour SA's roughly $1 billion (650 million pounds)-worth of Southeast Asian assets on Wednesday, sources said, showing robust demand for the retail operations.

Growth in the country's manufacturing sector slowed more than expected last month, led by the weakest expansion in new orders for more than a year, a purchasing managers' survey showed on Wednesday.

Growth in the country's manufacturing sector slowed more than expected last month, led by the weakest expansion in new orders for more than a year, a purchasing managers' survey showed on Wednesday.

Growth in the country's manufacturing sector slowed more than expected last month, led by the weakest expansion in new orders for more than a year, a purchasing managers' survey showed on Wednesday.

Retailers from Europe and Southeast Asia are expected to submit bids for Carrefour SA's roughly $1 billion (650 million pounds)-worth of Asian assets, with first-round offers due on Wednesday, sources said, in what is turning out to be a robust auction.

Protesters from environmental group Greenpeace boarded a drilling rig operated by UK oil explorer Cairn Energy on Monday to try to stall development of what the oil industry hopes will become a major new producing centre.

The top shares closed up on Tuesday, as miners gained on firmer U.S. economic data which eased investor anxiety on the global economic recovery, while ARM Holdings jumped on renewed takeover talk.

British customs officials said on Tuesday they had had arrested three people as part of an investigation into money laundering.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg confirmed on Tuesday that Britain's combat mission in Afghanistan would be over by 2015 and pledged to protect frontline troops from any sudden cuts in government spending.

Britain said on Tuesday it would discuss closer military cooperation with France in talks this week, but played down a report that the two countries would share aircraft carriers to save costs.

A growing belief among British investment managers that fears of a renewed economic slump are overblown has halted a five-month decline in allocations to stocks, according to a Reuters poll.