UPDATE 2-European shares notch best first-half gain in two decades <!-- no image --> <div>* Merlin Entertainments soars after buyout offer (Updates to close)<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?a=mIbisQWJjnY:NKpfKRmhkU0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?a=mIbisQWJjnY:NKpfKRmhkU0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?i=mIbisQWJjnY:NKpfKRmhkU0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?a=mIbisQWJjnY:NKpfKRmhkU0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?i=mIbisQWJjnY:NKpfKRmhkU0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/reuters/UKBankingFinancial/~4/mIbisQWJjnY" height="1" width="1" alt=""></div> Posted by Reuters