LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - The dollar hit a four-month high on Wednesday after a rise in benchmark U.S. Treasury yields above 3 percent rattled some currency bears while a mixed picture from business surveys failed to help the euro before a European Central Bank meeting.

BEIRUT, April 25 (Reuters) - Iran's president poured scorn on Wednesday on U.S. and European discussions over Tehran's nuclear agreement, and dismissed Donald Trump as a "tradesman" who lacked the qualifications to deal with a complex international pact.

LONDON/NEW YORK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Rare disease specialist Shire said on Wednesday it was willing to recommend a sweetened $64 billion offer from Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co to shareholders, in what would be the biggest acquisition of a drug company this year.

BEIJING (Reuters) - German car maker Daimler AG's boss said on Wednesday there was no indication the firm's largest shareholder, Chinese auto magnate Li Shufu, was planning a hostile takeover after he took a $9 billion stake in the firm earlier this year.

YEREVAN, April 25 (Reuters) - Armenian police began gathering in the center of Yerevan on Wednesday after a protest against the country's ruling elite erupted there, witnesses told Reuters.

OSLO, April 25 (Reuters) - Norsk Hydro will miss its cost-cutting target this year and faces possible writedowns as its Brazilian operations work at reduced capacity following a spill, the Norwegian aluminum producer it said on Wednesday.

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares declined on Wednesday in early deals as worries over rising bond yields trumped a slew of well-received earnings updates from Kering and Credit Suisse, while Shire bounced after accepting an improved offer from Takeda.

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Western banks are seeking clarification from China's securities watchdog on proposals to allow them to take over their onshore securities ventures, amid concerns about high asset value requirements and limits to ownership by non-financial investors.

PARIS (Reuters) - STMicroelectronics on Wednesday delivered an upbeat assessment on second-half demand for its smartphones-focused products in second-half, brushing off investor anxiety over the soft takeoff of Apple's iPhone X.