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(The following statement was released by the rating agency) Fitch Ratings has affirmed France-based Vivendi SA's (Vivendi) Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior unsecured rating at 'BBB'. The Outlook on the Long-term IDR is Stable. The affirmation reflects the completion of Vivendi's significant disposals (stakes in Activision Blizzard AB and Maroc Telecom) and its plans to sell SFR, the 2nd largest French telecoms operator, as part of their plan to move away from telecoms and become an international media group. After returning EUR4.8bn to shareholders, this should leave Vivendi with a net cash position to fund future investments and acquisitions in the media sector. Maintaining the 'BBB' rating will depend on the strategic plan that Vivendi adopts, the acquisitions made, coupled with management's ability to balance financial leverage with an operating profile that could be less predictable than when Vivendi had owned more telecoms as

Britain said on Thursday it would rush through emergency legislation to force telecoms companies to retain the data of users for a year, saying the move was vital to protect national security following a decision by Europe's top court. _0"> Communication companies had been required to retain data for 12 months under a 2006 European Union directive which was thrown out by the European Court of Justice in April. The scrapping of the directive could deprive police and intelligence agencies of access to information about who customers contacted by phone, text or email, and where and when, the British government said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said the emergency legislation would restore this capability and enshrine it in law, ensuring investigations would not be hampered and giving protection to the telecom firms from possible legal challenges. However, he stated the measure would not give the authorities any new powers to access Britons' personal data or t

Russian state oil companies Rosneft and Zarubezhneft plan to sign an agreement with Cuban state oil company Cubanpetroleo to develop an offshore block 37, a senior Russian official said. _0"> Yuri Ushakov, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who plans to visit Cuba on July 11, told reporters the companies were aiming to agree on the deal during his visit. He did not provide any other details. A number of factors are working against Cuba's oil hopes, among them the political and logistical difficulties imposed by the long-standing U.S. trade embargo against the island. (Reporting by Dasha Korsunskaya; writing by Katya Golubkova, editing by Elizabeth Piper)

Congressional Republicans asked the Obama administration on Wednesday to provide documents related to last month's anthrax scare at a U.S. lab facility, where more than 80 people were initially feared to be exposed to the deadly pathogen. In a series of letters, top Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee asked for the results of several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lab inspections and audits of potential weaknesses in biosecurity protocols dating back to October 2007. "How many suspected exposures to select agents and/or toxins have been reported at CDC since October 2007? How many actual exposures have been reported," said the July 9 letter to CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden signed by three Republican panel members including Chairman Fred Upton of Michigan. The lawmakers, who also requested information from the inspector general of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said they were gathering information for a July 16 hear

The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. _0"> Headlines AbbVie retraction shows panel has teeth ( on.ft.com/1r99c1T ) Citi to pay $7 bln to resolve U.S. probe ( on.ft.com/1rU46Ju ) Lufthansa considers launching low-cost long-haul service ( on.ft.com/1qKUlLN ) European regulators fine Servier of France ( on.ft.com/1jqRFT7 ) UK's Financial Conduct Authority sets sights on high-frequency traders _0"> ( on.ft.com/VLE8L3 ) _1"> _2"> Aldi and Lidl lead charge of discount supermarkets _3"> ( on.ft.com/1rU3l2Z ) _4"> _5"> Peer-to-peer lender wins landmark rating _6"> ( on.ft.com/1oCSLIL ) _7"> _8"> Overview _9"> _10"> AbbVie Chief Executive Richard Gonzalez was on Wednesday forced to retract comments made by him while discussing shareholder support for the U.S. drugmaker

Swiss stocks were expected to open steady on Thursday, in line with European factors seen unchanged after the Federal Reserve showed no rush to end its easy money policy. _0"> The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen flat at 8,540 points, according to premarket indications from bank Julius Baer . The following are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks on Thursday: CREDIT SUISSE Banca Generali said on Thursday it had reached an agreement to buy the Italian affluent and upper affluent private banking operations of Credit Suisse Italy. For more, click on COMPANY STATEMENTS * Addex Therapeutics announced positive results with ADX71441 in preclinical models of nicotine addiction. * Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank said first-half net income increased by 3.6 percent to 49.3 million Swiss francs. * Basilea's said its partner Astellas submitted isavuconazole U.S. NDA for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis. * Schindler will in

Apeloa Pharmaceutical Co Ltd _0"> * Says expects h1 net profit up 167-174 percent y/y at 216-222 million yuan ($34.83-$35.79 million) Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/1na9y39 Further company coverage: ($1 = 6.2023 Chinese Yuan Renminbi) (Reporting by Hong Kong and Singapore newsrooms)