UNITED KINGDOM

U.S.-listed shares of BP Plc jumped 7.6 percent on Thursday after a company executive said no oil was leaking from its blown-out well into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since late April.

Investors have muted expectations for Google Inc's second-quarter results, as economic clouds and shifts in the company's strategy dampened hopes that it will beat Wall Street estimates.

(Corrects analyst's affiliation in last paragraph to ThinkEquity instead of Kaufman Brothers)

Top scorers Germany and winners Spain elicited the most positive reaction from online fans of this year's soccer World Cup, whilst France's player crisis made them the most maligned team of the tournament.

JPMorgan Chase & Co posted higher second-quarter earnings on Thursday, beating analysts' expectations, after setting aside less money for loan losses.

Markets are relatively patient about the budget-cutting efforts of Britain, the United States, Germany and Japan, but that could change if governments are slow to act, OECD chief Angel Gurria said on Thursday.

Asian stocks fell on Thursday as investors took profits from a recent rally after the Federal Reserve's caution on the U.S. economic recovery, even as Chinese data pointed to only a mild cooling in that economy.

Investors have muted expectations for Google Inc's second-quarter results, as economic clouds and shifts in the company's strategy dampened hopes that it will beat Wall Street estimates.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes drug Avandia should be allowed to stay on the market but with additional warnings, U.S. health advisers recommended on Wednesday, easing a threat of further costly litigation that could have followed a ban.

Consumer sentiment in Australia markedly improved rising to 11.1% the most in 13 months, following 3 months of decline.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc has agreed to pay $460 million to settle thousands of lawsuits over its Avandia diabetes pill, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, on the eve of a crucial vote by U.S. experts on whether the pill should be withdrawn due to heart risks.

The Australian Dollar climbed to its highest level in 3 weeks overnight as equities bounced upon expectations US corporate earnings will beat estimates.

BOTOX or botulinum toxin type A has been licensed worldwide as a preventative treatment for chronic migraine.

European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday to increase monitoring of member states' economies from January as part of efforts to tighten budget discipline and prevent new economic crises.

Europe Union finance ministers remained divided on Tuesday over what data would be published in banks stress tests due in 10 days but pledged to make them as transparent as possible.

A leading EU official on Tuesday urged full disclosure on how the region's banks perform in stress tests, but sources said the bloc's finance ministers remained divided on what data should be published.

The board of American International Group is set to meet this week to consider the future of its AIA unit, with a public float seen as the most likely outcome, sources said on Tuesday.

The board of American International Group Inc is expected to meet this week to consider the future of the insurer's Asian life business, AIA, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The AUD has opened slightly firmer this morning after some nervousness from traders yesterday ahead of the US reporting season saw the AUD move back towards USD0.8700.

Australia's dollar fell from its highest level in almost three weeks to an intraday low near 87 cents on the back of a drop in imports of iron ore and copper by China, the nation's biggest trading partner.

The Obama administration prepared a new moratorium on deepwater oil drilling on Monday, seeking to make the industry safer while protecting thousands of jobs during the worst spill in U.S. history.