UK household goods firm Reckitt Benckiser is expanding its healthcare operations in North America after today agreeing a £1.1bn (€1.5bn) takeover of a US cough mixture firm.

The boss of household products group Reckitt Benckiser saw his bonus fall by 26% last year after failing to hit the top end of his targets, it emerged today.

The world's biggest household goods firm, Reckitt Benckiser, says it will start returning cash to investors, boosting its shares after it posted higher second-quarter profit and raised its 2003 targets.