UNITED KINGDOM

Honda Motor Co will steer clear of cooperating with rival automakers as it seeks to boost its presence in Asia, defying a resurgent trend toward tie-ups in the industry, a top executive said.

Google has not violated the rights of luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton and two other firms by allowing online advertisers to buy search keywords identical to trademarks, Europe's top court said.

For fans that crowded into Austin's streets, clubs and even churches last week, the South by Southwest Festival was about drinking a lot of beer, eating barbecue and hearing some of the world's hottest bands.

Britain's consumer watchdog is to investigate plans for a proposed joint venture aimed at giving Internet access to digital TV in a move that will allow critics such as pay-TV firms to voice concerns.

EBay Inc and the National Retail Federation, the trade group for the retail industry, said on Monday they have teamed to combat organized retail crime.

Since their tumble in early February platinum and palladium prices have been extremely strong. From a low of $1,475/oz on 5 February, platinum gained steadily to hit $1,624/oz by 16 March, a gain of 10% and just shy of the $1,627/oz it fixed at in January. Palladium did even better, rising from a low of $395/oz on 5 February to hit $475/oz by 8 March, 20% up from its low, and beating its January high - indeed it's the highest fix for palladium since the same $475/oz seen on 20 June 2008.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer has lost market share in major European markets, such as France, Britain and Italy, after the U.S. software firm started to make it easier for European consumers to use competing browsers.

When Nicholas Davies joined Brisbane-based Arrow Energy Ltd as chief executive in 2004, he was charged with growing the then junior explorer into one of Australia's top coal seam gas producers by 2010.

The Labour government will unveil a 2 billion pound ($3 billion) green investment bank in Wednesday's budget to help Britain's transformation to a low carbon economy, a government source said on Sunday.

With a severe lack of confidence that a Greek rescue package would eventuate commodities, in particular gold, were sold off aggressively during Friday's offshore session.

Pope Benedict apologized on Saturday to victims of child sex abuse by clergy in Ireland and ordered an official inquiry there to try to stem a scandal gripping the Catholic Church which has swept across Europe.

A new gel discovery by the researchers in Oxford may give cure to those people who suffer from birth defects.

The euro fell on Friday over doubts Greece would win euro-zone aid, capping its worst week since January, and concerns about the UK economy hit sterling. A report on Thursday that Greece saw limited prospects for euro-zone assistance raised concerns about the country's ability to service its debt. On Friday, the euro fell as far as $1.3502, its lowest level in more than two weeks. It was down 1.7 percent this week, its worst showing since late January.

A three-day strike by British Airways cabin crew will go ahead from Saturday after talks with management collapsed, Britain's Unite union said Friday.

Bailed out British lender Lloyds Banking Group said on Friday it would return to profit this year thanks to a bigger than expected drop in bad debts, wrong-footing forecasts for another loss and sending its shares sharply higher.

Most investors confuse money and currency, but they are not the same thing. Money is defined as a medium of exchange, a unit of account and a store of value.

Google Inc could win a widely expected victory next week in Europe's top court and still face many more battles over keyword advertising, the backbone of its Internet business model.

Sony is teaming up with European movie-rental firm Lovefilm to offer TV viewers in Britain instant access to films from the Web, as a land grab for space on Internet-connected televisions gets under way.

It's been a bad month for Pfizer's research labs but its head of R&D says the world's biggest drugmaker is on track to hit earlier targets for new drug filings despite the setbacks.

Young people in Britain turn to the internet to look for help with personal problems rather than seek advice from their parents or friends, according to a survey released on Thursday.

Britain announced hundreds of millions of pounds in aid to Ford Motor and Nissan Motor for the development of environmentally friendly technologies as it seeks to become a world leader in ultra low-carbon vehicles.