VENTURE CAPITAL POST

U.S. drugmaker AbbVie Inc (ABBV.N) said on Monday it has reached agreement with Shire Plc (SHP.L) to officially call off its proposed $55 billion purchase of the Irish company, and will pay Shire a $1.64 billion breakup fee for walking away from the deal.

The U.S. budget deficit fell by nearly a third during fiscal 2014 to $486 billion as federal revenues grew far faster than spending, the Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday.

The Bank of Japan on Tuesday maintained its massive asset buying program but offered a bleaker view on factory output, following signs that the world's third-largest economy was hit harder than expected by a sales tax increase in April.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe remains "completely neutral" on whether to raise the national sales tax, Economy Minister Akira Amari said on Sunday even as he expressed concern about the strength of the country's economic recovery.

France will tax drugmakers whose costly hepatitis C drugs threaten to throw off course its healthcare budget, the government has said, heaping pressure on pharmaceutical companies like Gilead Sciences to cut their prices.

The European Commission will accuse Apple Inc (AAPL.O) of benefiting from illicit state aid in Ireland, based on preliminary findings of an investigation into tax deals, the Financial Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Financial leaders of the Group of 20 top economies remain committed to chasing higher global growth, but were divided on how to achieve it as Germany pushed back at calls from the United States and others for more immediate stimulus.

Private banking hub Luxembourg sought to lure more wealthy investors on Wednesday by opening a high-security center designed to look like a jewel box, where collectors can store and trade valuables without paying customs or sales tax.

The Bank of Japan bought one-year government bills at negative yields in market operations on Friday, traders said, setting a new milestone as it pushes its aggressive asset purchase scheme.

Specialty healthcare company Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) (ENL.TO) offered to buy Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc (AUXL.O) for about $2.2 billion in cash and stock to expand its men's healthcare products business.

Senior vice minister Nishimura said that Japan needs a plan to boost growth.

Tax havens like the British Virgin Islands gained massive amounts of investments while Belgium and most Euro zone markets failed.

Egypt set to return the taxes collected from the QNB acquisition of NSGB.