HONG KONG, May 23 (Reuters) - Lenovo Group Ltd's bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades.

May 23 (Reuters) - (The following statement was released by the rating agency)

* Asian shares down after China HSBC flash PMI, credit spreads wider

BRUSSELS, May 23 (Reuters) - EU regulators will announce on Thursday their acceptance of proposals by Lufthansa, United Airlines, Continental and Air Canada to free up airport slots to end an antitrust case, a source familiar with the matter said.

PARIS, May 23 (Reuters) - The Euro STOXX 50 Volatility Index surged 18 percent to a 3-week high on Thursday, as weak Chinese macro data and worries the U.S. Federal Reserve could soon trim its stimulus measures dented investors' appetite for risk.

MOSCOW, May 23 (Reuters) - Vozrozhdenie, a mid-sized listed Russian bank, posted on Thursday a 36.7-percent decline in net profit for the first quarter of the year due to a rise in provisioning on bad loans.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - European shares went into a tailspin early on Thursday, spooked by concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve could soon taper its stimulus programme and compounded by weak economic data from China.

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - - Japan's vice finance minister Shunichi Yamaguchi said on Thursday he will closely monitor market moves after volatility in Japanese stocks, government bonds and the yen.

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari said there was no need to be upset about Thursday's sharp falls in Tokyo stock prices, which were due to selling by market players who had been looking for a timing to take profits.

PARIS, May 23 (Reuters) - Areva said on Thursday that 13 staff had been injured in an attack at its Somair mine near Arlit in northern Niger.

NIAMEY, May 23 (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck on Thursday at a military barracks and a plant run by French nuclear group Areva in northern Niger, military and company sources said.

* Investigations must be wrapped up before workers return -union

CONAKRY, May 22 (Reuters) - The government of Guinea said on Wednesday it has given approval to BHP Billiton and Global Alumina to sell their stake in a bauxite and alumina project to Dubai Aluminium Co (Dubal) and Mubadala Development Co.

NIAMEY, May 23 (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck on Thursday at a military barracks and a plant run by French nuclear group Areva in northern Niger, according to military and company sources.

ZURICH, May 23 (Reuters) - Computer accessories company Logitech International plans to pay an annual dividend every year as new products help it return to sales and profit growth, the company said on Thursday.

MADRID, May 23 (Reuters) - Spain's Caixabank said on Thursday it was considering selling around 10 percent of Mexico's Grupo Financiero Inbursa, worth $1.6 billion, to reduce its stake by half.

* World shares fall sharply after Bernanke comments * European shares fall ahead of May PMIs * Yen strengthens, German bond futures firm By Richard Hubbard LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - Concerns over the future of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus and weak Chinese factory data sent shares sharply lower and safe haven currencies like the yen higher on Thursday. The shift from riskier assets to safer markets was triggered when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told a congressi

MAPUTO, May 23 (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch accused Mozambique's government and foreign mining companies on Thursday of "serious shortcomings" in resettling communities to make way for coal mines, leaving thousands without proper homes, food or sources of income.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - European equities went into a tailspin early on Thursday, spooked by concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve could soon taper its stimulus programme and compounded by weak economic data from China.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's BTG said it would make two acquisitions, one extending its expertise in liver cancer and the other a treatment for severe blood clots, to create an interventional medicine business with potential sales of $1 billion.

MAPUTO, May 23 (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch accused Mozambique's government and foreign mining companies on Thursday of "serious shortcomings" in resettling communities to make way for coal mines, leaving thousands without proper homes, food or sources of income.

MADRID, May 23 (Reuters) - Spain's biggest domestic lender Caixabank said on Thursday it was considering a placement of around half of its 20 percent stake in Mexico's Grupo Financiero Inbursa, without having yet made a final decision.

HONG KONG, May 23 (Reuters) - Langham Hospitality Investments, an investment trust controlled by property developer Great Eagle Holdings Ltd, raised about $550 million in an IPO on Thursday, the first of several issuers looking to benefit from a surge in investors' demand for commercial property and high-yield securities in Hong Kong.

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - The Nikkei share average plunged 7.3 percent on Thursday, its biggest one-day percentage drop in two years after weak Chinese factory data rattled investors, prompting them to take profits from a recent rally buoyed by massive Bank of Japan stimulus measures.

May 23 (Reuters) - The following corporate finance-related stories were reported by media on Thursday:

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - BTG PLC : * Proposed acquisition of therasphere * To buy the targeted therapies division of nordion, for approximately US$200

* JGBs dive, 10-year JGB yield hits highest since April 2012

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - BTG PLC : * Acquisition of ekos * Has entered into an agreement to buy ekos corporation for an initial cash of

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - European stock futures pointed to a sharply weaker start on Thursday after a poor factory activity survey from China and on concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve could decide to cut its bond purchases in the next few meetings.