UNITED KINGDOM

Prudential will try to draw a line under its botched Asian takeover at an investor meeting on Monday amid signs that investor fury over the deal is abating.

U.S. consumers are venting frustration over the BP oil spill, demonstrating at gas stations and corporate offices, drumming up support on Facebook and waging a mock public relations campaign on Twitter.

Fitch Ratings downgraded BP , reversing its view that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill would have a limited financial impact on the company, and was joined by Moody's as fears grow over clean-up and legal costs.

The Australian dollar rallied after third quarter of growth data showed fifth consecutive quarter of expansion

The global recovery had enough momentum before Europe's debt crisis struck to be able to weather it without being derailed, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday.

Growth in the euro zone services sector quickened in May, helped by a the recovery in France, but activity slowed in the big emerging economies and was stable in the United States, surveys showed on Thursday.

Disagreements over how quickly to reduce billowing budget deficits and restore balance to the global economy risk straining high-level Group of 20 talks that started on Thursday.

Wall Street was little changed on Thursday, erasing earlier gains as lackluster May retail sales offset data reinforcing optimism that tomorrow's payroll report would be strong.

Fitch Ratings downgraded BP , becoming the first agency to cut the oil major's credit rating and reversing its initial view that the financial impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on BP would be limited.

U.S. investment bank JP Morgan Securities Ltd has been fined a record 33.32 million pounds ($49.12 million) in Britain for failing to protect billions of dollars of client money over almost seven years.

Children who eat three or more burgers a week may be at a higher risk of asthma and wheezing, but a healthy diet rich in fruit and fish seems to stave off the risk, according to a large international study.

British oil giant BP will speak with analysts on Friday, a spokeswoman for the company said after analysts pointed to a planned conference call as one possible reason for a spike in its battered shares.

Good morning dear traders, EURUSD was not my favourite currency yesterday. My trading in EURUSD and Cable was rather exhausting in the morning. Further, I finished a good shorting chance in GBPUSD with a too tight stopp-loss. But I´m learning out of my mistakes.

Group of 20 nations must agree to put public finances back on a sustainable path but in a way that doesn't choke off global recovery, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday.

A collaborative study by scientists from the UK and Kuwait found that the risk of the cancer rose with increasing numbers of dental X-rays.

For the second time in nine months the Reserve Bank of Australia left rates unchanged at 4.5% as expected and the Aussie fell as the RBA signalled policy makers may keep borrowing costs steady as 'the effects of earlier expansionary policy measures will be diminishing.'

Superfast quantum computing, one of the holy grails of science, could be a step closer following the invention of a new device capable of producing so-called entangled light on demand.

Wal-Mart Stores Co international employees have been given their marching orders from the company's chief executive: Grow, grow, grow!

UK insurer Prudential has abandoned its plan to buy AIG's Asian life unit for $35.5 billion, leaving management under fire and the company facing a $659 million bill for failure.

The euro rose on Wednesday after some of the world's biggest central banks said they would not stop investing in the single currency, while world equities and commodity prices fell.

UK insurer Prudential Plc is pulling out of its bold $35.5 billion takeover of AIG's Asian life insurance arm, ending a 3-month battle with shareholders who had argued the deal was over-priced.