(Reuters) – Tests showed music superstar Prince, who was found dead in his home in a Minneapolis suburb in late April, died of an opioid overdose, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a law enforcement official. (Reporting by Megan Cassella in Washington; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
(Reuters) – Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc said it agreed to buy rival Rite Aid Corp in a deal valued at about $17.2 billion. Walgreens said on Tuesday it offered $9 per share for Rite Aid, a premium of 48 percent to the stock's Monday close. (Reporting by Ramkumar Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey)
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea's health ministry reported on Monday two more deaths in the country's Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, bringing the number of fatalities to 27. The ministry also confirmed three new cases, taking the total to 172 in an outbreak that is the largest outside Saudi Arabia. The new fatalities were aged in their 80s with pre-existing health problems, according to the health ministry. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Richard Pullin)
(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Oklahoma to proceed with an execution planned for Thursday, which would be the state’s first since a flawed execution in April 2014 led to widespread criticism. In a decision released on Thursday, the court denied an appeal for a stay, with four of the nine justices dissenting. Oklahoma plans to execute convicted murderer and rapist Charles Warner later on Thursday. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Eric Walsh)
PARIS (Reuters) – U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and French biotech Adocia said on Friday they agreed a worldwide licensing partnership to develop ultra-rapid insulin to treat patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Under the deal, Adocia will receive an upfront fee of $50 million, potential future payments of up to $280 million if BioChaperone Lispro reaches certain development and regulatory milestones, and sales milestones up to $240 million, the companies said in a statement. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Blaise Robinson)