UNITED KINGDOM

A Susan Boyle spokesperson said Thursday that the Scottish singing sensation and Britain's Got Talent finalist lost her cool after being harassed by journalists at a London hotel.

A rift between Berlin and Washington threatened to torpedo Germany's goal of shielding Opel from the imminent bankruptcy of its parent General Motors , raising the risk of insolvency for the German carmaker.

As the battle for German carmaker Opel effectively narrowed to a race between Fiat and Magna, overnight talks to shield Opel from General Motors' looming bankruptcy ended with no deal.

Concerns about the debt burden facing countries trying to spend their way out of the economic downturn spooked investors on Thursday despite optimism from President Barack Obama that the U.S. economy was past the worst.

Europe’s largest oil Company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc on Wednesday unveiled new management to restructure the company’s oil major operations to increase its accountability in the current economic environment, effective July 1.

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc said Wednesday it has agreed to provide its thin-film photovoltaic modules for an energy efficient unmanned aerial vehicle being developed by Bye Aerospace.

Intel Corp, the world's largest chipmaker, said the record 1.06 billion euro ($1.5 billion) fine imposed by EU regulators for antitrust violations would not cause it to cut investment or slash its dividend.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent birthday wishes to Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday, joining an online campaign to mark her 64th birthday next month.

The European Union proposed on Wednesday creating regulatory bodies to oversee financial supervision across national borders in a shake-up to protect investors and prevent another global credit crunch.

Banks will be more closely scrutinized under European Union plans unveiled on Wednesday to apply lessons from the credit crunch and better protect investors hit by the worst financial crisis in decades.

Cannibalization of laptop computer sales by lower-priced netbooks is currently about 20 percent, less than speculation, Intel's European sales chief told Reuters on the fringes of a company event.

About 15 percent of homes in Britain have Internet broadband access under 2 Megabits per second , the minimum speed envisaged by the government for the whole country, research shows.

North Korea defied international condemnation of its latest nuclear test by firing two short-range missiles off its east coast on Tuesday and major powers considered tougher action against the isolated communist state.

The greenback relinquished gains against the euro and Aussie on the Tuesday session as UK and US markets returned from holiday.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that nearly 13,000 people have been confirmed infected with the new H1N1 flu strain but the number of countries affected is stable at 46.

North Korea, irked by South Korean and Japanese criticism of its nuclear test, said on Tuesday it may not support moves to curb production of nuclear bomb-making material, jeopardizing the start of global talks on the issue.

The U.S. economy appears destined for several years of weak growth and high unemployment that leave it vulnerable to a recession relapse after the massive dose of government stimulus wears off.

Nokia officially entered the mobile applications market on Tuesday after opening its online software and content store, Ovi Store.

Privately-owned airline Virgin Atlantic said yearly profits nearly doubled, but warned the weak economic environment would make it almost impossible for airlines to make a profit in the current year.

Privately-owned airline Virgin Atlantic said profits nearly doubled during the year to end February, despite the high fuel prices and economic slowdown that has devastated the industry.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc's U.S. estate administrators will ask a federal judge on Tuesday to approve a framework for coordinating bankruptcy proceedings for the bank's subsidiaries worldwide, putting them at odds with its administrators in the UK, the Wall Street Journal said.