UNITED KINGDOM

The world's richest economies are set to grow faster this year than forecast a month ago, although the latest Reuters economic outlook showed the upturn will be feeble in comparison to resurgent emerging market peers.

MillerCoors, the second-largest brewer in the United States, on Tuesday reported a 21.6 percent slide in fourth-quarter net income reflecting a tough economy and a sharp rise in share-based salary bonus packages.

Asian shares broadly rose on Tuesday, led by Taiwan and South Korea, and the euro staged a small rebound from its recent drubbing, but Japan and Australia fell as investor sentiment remained weak on euro zone fiscal concerns.

After gapping higher on the open yesterday the Aussie dollar pared back gains above 87 cents to spend the majority of the Asian day exchanging between 0.8640 and 0.8680.

Most often bridges make us wonder how technology made possible their construction. They are a means of getting from one point to another but although we walk or drive on them (almost) daily, we don't always stop to admire them.

Fears about the sovereign debt of peripheral European nations continue as investors are show dissatisfaction with the stance of European G7 members.

Greek civil servants threatened on Monday to stage more strikes in protest at government austerity measures, heightening fears debt-laden members of the euro zone may struggle to deliver on promises to tackle stretched budgets.

International pressure for new sanctions against Iran grew on Monday after Tehran announced more moves to expand nuclear fuel production and enrichment plants, heightening Western fears it wants to make atom bombs.

The Internet is helping older British readers rekindle a love of books and writing, and an overwhelming majority of senior citizens see the medium as a positive development, according to a survey.

Mining group Xstrata reinstated dividends on Monday, reflecting confidence about commodities demand and its finances after posting an expected 41 percent fall in 2009 profit reflecting weaker metals prices.

Spanish bank Santander is considering the sale of a minority stake in its UK arm through a stock market flotation to potentially repeat a windfall from a Brazilian spinoff last year, industry sources said on Monday.

Private equity firms are again being threatened with higher taxes, as a long-running debate over how to classify their profits again becomes a focus for governments desperate for cash.

The Aussie dollar remained relatively range bound on Friday bouncing between 0.8650 and 0.8700 for the majority of the Asian session.

Reassurances about debt-strapped Greece and agreement that banks should pay for future rescue funds capped an international meeting in Canada's Arctic, as European policymakers sought to convince jittery markets that they have things under control.

The idea of a global tax on banks to recapture bailout costs gained ground on Saturday, boosted by the Obama administration's latest proposals, but there was no agreement on a specific design.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner insisted on Saturday that major economies were not easing up on their commitment to stiffen the rules for banks just because the global economy was recovering.

Finance chiefs from the world's rich powers focused on the euro zone's debt crisis at an Arctic summit and a top official said Europe was determined to solve its problems without the International Monetary Fund.

Finance chiefs from the world's rich powers opened an icy summit on Friday mulling how to prevent worry about deepening southern European debt from derailing an already fragile global recovery.

A dispute over control of $370 million in assets traced to accused Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford is holding up disbursement of the funds, but the liquidators and the receiver in the case are in talks to settle the matter, liquidators for Stanford's Antigua bank said on Friday.

BAE Systems Plc, the largest European defense contractor, said on Friday it will pay a $400 million fine to the U.S. government and plead guilty to a criminal charge as part of a settlement to end a more than two year investigation.

Six major powers on Friday discussed efforts to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program but China made clear it wants them to keep talking rather than impose new sanctions on Tehran.