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Swiss billionaires buy Merck Serono HQ for biotech campus
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli has bought back the Geneva headquarters of his former biotech firm Serono, hoping to establish a biotech research campus.

Wall St. opens higher ahead of Bernanke
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged higher at the open on Wednesday, ahead of highly anticipated testimony in Congress by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on the economy and monetary policy.

Del Potro pulls out of French Open
PARIS (Reuters) - World number seven Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina has pulled out of next week's French Open tennis after failing to recover from a virus, organizers said on Wednesday.

State-backed UK banks gain approval for capital plans
LONDON (Reuters) - State-backed British lenders Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland have agreed plans to shore up their capital with the financial regulator, removing a barrier to the government offloading its shares.

Germany backs call to put Hezbollah armed wing on EU terror list
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany will throw its weight behind a British drive to put the armed wing of Hezbollah on the European Union's list of terrorist organizations, German diplomats said on Wednesday.

Clearwire recommends vote for revised Sprint bid
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clearwire Corp said on Wednesday its special committee and its board of directors approved majority shareholder Sprint Nextel Corp's revised offer to take over the company and advised investors to vote for the deal.

Syria rebels call for reinforcements as war spreads abroad
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebels fighting for control of the Syrian town of Qusair called for reinforcements on Wednesday to repel forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war which is spreading violence through an already volatile region.

Mugabe signs constitution into law, paving way for vote
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed a new constitution into law on Wednesday, replacing a 33-year-old document forged in the dying days of British colonial rule and paving the way for an election later this year.

Talks over Vimpelcom's Djezzy at delicate stage: source
MOSCOW/CAIRO (Reuters) - Russia-focused telecoms firm Vimpelcom's talks to sell a controlling stake in its Algerian mobile business Djezzy to Algeria are at a delicate stage but have not failed, a source with knowledge of the discussions said on Wednesday.

Pearson agrees $75 million settlement in U.S. eBook pricing case
LONDON (Reuters) - Publisher Pearson said on Wednesday it would pay $75 million in consumer damages plus cost and fees as part of a deal with the United States to settle anti-trust claims relating to eBook pricing for its Penguin division.

A Minute With: Pitbull on music, Jennifer Lopez and 'Epic'
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie, "Epic."

Somali lawmakers withdraw confidence vote against PM
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali members of parliament shelved a vote of confidence against the prime minister on Wednesday, but warned the government it would face further parliamentary rebellions if it did not do more to improve the economy and security.

When it comes to deadly viruses, what's in a name?
LONDON (Reuters) - For a pathogen with such a short history, the mysterious new virus killing people in the Middle East and Europe has already had an amazing array of names.

Del Potro pulls out of French Open - reports
PARIS (Reuters) - World number seven Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina has pulled out of next week's French Open tennis after failing to recover from a virus, Argentine media reported on Wednesday.

Garcia's fried chicken jibe 'hurtful' - Woods
LONDON (Reuters) - The feud between world number one Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia deepened when Woods described the Spaniard's "fried chicken" jibe as "wrong, hurtful and inappropriate" on Wednesday.

Boeing plans to return 80 percent of free cash to shareholders
(Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Wednesday that it plans to return about 80 percent of its free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share buy-backs.

Puerto Rico's Carrion makes run for IOC presidency
BERLIN (Reuters) - Puerto Rican banker Richard Carrion launched his bid for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, with his long financial experience a powerful pitch in his quest for the world's top sports job.

France beefs up Africa, Middle East embassy security
PARIS (Reuters) - France will invest about 20 million euros ($25 million) to increase security for diplomats and embassies in the Middle East and Africa after its mission in Libya was targeted by a car bomb in April, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Bernanke expected to stay the course on Fed policy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is not expected to hint at a pending policy change when he testifies before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday despite some speculation among investors that the central bank could soon reduce its massive bond buying program.

Council of Europe head says Russia must protect LGBT rights
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The head of the Council of Europe demanded on Wednesday that Russia allow gay rallies, weighing in on what has become an increasingly divisive issue since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency.