UNITED KINGDOM

Lloyds Banking Group said it agreed to sell its loss-making Halifax estate agency business to LSL Property Services for 1 pound ($1.6) following a strategic review.

World powers will seek to finalize an agreement with Iran next week on processing its uranium abroad to help allay Western fears it is developing nuclear weapons.

The U.N. Human Rights Council endorsed on Friday a Gaza report that accused both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas of committing war crimes.

Cadbury, under siege from a bid by Kraft, will look to paint a picture of growth at next week's update to try and see off the predator with analysts focusing on sales, volumes and margin trends.

Britain's top share index was lower at midday on Friday, led by banks after quarterly earnings numbers from Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and General Electric (GE.N) disappointed.

French IT services provider Atos Origin (ATOS.PA) confirmed on Friday it was in the race to buy Italian electronic payment company SIA-SSB, but said it still could not provide investors with estimates for 2010 results.

Asian shares gave up early gains on Friday, with interest rate speculation pressuring assets in South Korea and China, while a bounce in the British pound continued to depress the yen and oil hit a one-year high above $78.

Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety for different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.

Intraday support at 0.9030 held firm in local exchange yesterday with strong Chinese Trade data giving the Aussie another boost towards 91 cents.

Micro-blogging site Twitter has been launched as a mobile version in Japan in a move to expand its popular online presence, making it the first offering from the website in a foreign language.

People are more likely to wash their hands properly after using the toilet if they are shamed into it or think they are being watched, scientists said on Thursday.

U.S. clothing chain Gap Inc plans to open its first store in China next year as it seeks new international opportunities to counteract a protracted domestic sales slump at its main brand.

RHJ International is to buy UK wealth management unit Kleinwort Benson from Commerzbank for 225 million pounds ($359.5 million), the latest in a flurry of private banking sales.

Miner Xstrata Plc has given up its pursuit of rival Anglo American, it announced on Thursday, leaving Anglo to push ahead with its own restructuring plan and raising questions about whether Xstrata will revisit former target Lonmin.

Consolidation in the private banking industry picked up pace on Thursday, creating fresh players in the Asian and British wealth management sectors and reshaping how the rich manage their money around the world.

Bruce Wasserstein, the legendary Wall Street deal maker identified with an era of no-holds-barred takeover battles, has died at the age of 61. His death leaves major questions about the future direction and leadership of Lazard Ltd., the investment bank he headed.

European shares hit a fresh one-year high on Thursday, with analysts pointing to third-quarter earnings beating forecasts, though mobile phone giant Nokia (NOK1V.HE) bucked the trend. At 1041 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.5 percent at 1,021.65 points, having risen as far as 1,022.26, the highest since Oct. 7, 2008.

Britain's top share index was 0.1 percent lower by mid-session Thursday, weighed on by weaker commodity stocks as metal prices fell, ahead of results from U.S. banks Citigroup (C.N) and Goldman Sachs (GS.N)

U.S. carmaker General Motors was close to signing a deal to sell a 55 percent stake in its European arm Opel to Canada's Magna Thursday as talks continued with unions over job cuts.

Intraday support at 0.9030 held firm in local exchange yesterday with strong Chinese Trade data giving the Aussie another boost towards 91 cents. Offshore investors took the AUD/USD to a high around 0.9150 with optimism on the global recovery, following higher than forecast U.S Retail Sales data, continuing to drive sentiment on commodities and commodity based currencies like the AUD. Underlying support for the currency is expected to continue whilst the Greenback remains weak with today's trade...

Lazard Ltd Chief Executive Bruce Wasserstein, a legendary dealmaker for more than 30 years, has died, ending an era at one of Wall Street's best-known investment banks.