Neil Bradley

US drugs giant Pfizer makes an improved £69bn offer, worth £55 per share, for British firm AstraZeneca.
BBC News – UK

US telecommunications firm AT&T will acquire satellite television provider DirecTV in a cash and stock deal.
BBC News – US & Canada

A suicide blast in a popular part of the the Nigerian city of Kano kills four people, police say.
BBC News – Africa

The US government fines General Motors $ 35m(£20.8m) for delays in recalling small cars with faulty ignition switches.
BBC News – Business

A paramilitary force led by a retired army officer launches operation against “terrorists” in Benghazi, but the government condemns the move.
BBC News – Middle East

The government of Colombia and the Farc rebel group agree on a plan to deal with the illegal drug trade, at peace negotiations in Cuba.
BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean

Turkey is calling a halt to the Soma mine rescue operation after two more bodies are found, bringing the final death toll to 301.
BBC News – Europe

Members of the Co-op vote in favour of sweeping reforms to the way the group is managed, following a series of failures at the organisation.
BBC News – UK

The highest court in the US state of Arkansas halts gay marriages there pending an appeal against a lower ruling overturning a voter-approved ban.
BBC News – US & Canada

African leaders meeting in Paris declare “war” on Boko Haram militants, who seized about 220 Nigerian schoolgirls and are suspected of fresh attacks.
BBC News – Africa

Oklahoma City Thunder was dealt a blow this week when forward Serge Ibaka underwent an MRI today. He injured his left leg against the Los Angeles Clippers and is now expected to miss the remainder of the 2014 […]

Oklahoma beat the LA Clippers 4-2 to advance to the Western Conference semi-finals. They had to stage a bit of a comeback as the Clippers had a double-digit lead at one stage, however, they battled back to win it […]

Indian stocks rally to a record after early vote counts show opposition leader Narenda Modi was leading the election polls.
BBC News – Business

At least 43 people have been killed and dozens hurt by a suspected car bomb blast near a border crossing between Syria and Turkey, activists say.
BBC News – Middle East

Brazilian riot police in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro fire tear gas to break up protests against the cost of hosting the football World Cup.
BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean

Rivals for the EU’s top job argue about the debt crisis, immigration and other key issues live on TV, in a landmark event for the EU.
BBC News – Europe

Ofgem imposes a £12m mis-selling penalty on energy supplier E.On, resulting in a pay-out for around 330,000 customers.
BBC News – UK

President Barack Obama joins September 11 survivors and rescuers at the dedication of a memorial museum on the site of the attacks.
BBC News – US & Canada

Nigeria’s president will on Friday visit the town of Chibok, where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted a month ago, officials say.
BBC News – Africa

The UK’s unemployment rate falls to a five-year low of 6.8% while the number of people in work rises to a record high, official figures show.
BBC News – Business