UNITED KINGDOM

Prime Minister Tony Blair told U.S. President George W. Bush in 2002 that Britain would back military action if diplomatic efforts to disarm Iraq's Saddam Hussein failed, his former communications chief said on Tuesday.

Royal Bank of Scotland said investors were concerned a clampdown on bonuses would hamper its ability to retain staff and warned parliamentarians the rescued bank could find itself prisoner to market rates.

China took its strongest step toward tightening monetary policy on Tuesday as the world's third-largest economy roars ahead, surprising investors with an increase in banks' required reserves that rocked global financial markets.

European carbon emissions futures dipped on Tuesday as investors sold permits to entice industrial companies into selling to drive prices lower, traders said.

AA Sweetens JAL Offer; Cadbury Rebuffs Kraft; China's Growing Fortunes

Asian stocks fell on Tuesday, a day after hitting a 17-month high, on investor jitters about tighter monetary policy in China, while the dollar rose after a Chinese sovereign fund official said the currency has bottomed.

Cadbury Plc's union, Unite, will warn members of Britain's Parliament on Tuesday that a potential bidding war for the UK chocolatier will further undermine worker rights.

The Australian Dollar opens marginally higher on Tuesday against its U.S. counterpart at 0.9311.

Major powers may soon meet to discuss Iran's nuclear program, the State Department said on Monday, adding the talks could take place when U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns travels to Moscow and Madrid this week.

Britain's first commercial wind farm will be repowered, replacing its aging turbines with more efficient ones under an 11.8 million pound ($19.1 million) deal announced by Good Energy Group plc on Monday.

They've never known a world without the Internet, but they still prefer to meet their friends offline.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will attempt to reassert his authority over his ruling Labour Party on Monday, after surviving a plot to depose him less than five months before an election that he is expected to lose.

A growing number of consumers worldwide used their mobile telephones to help them shop early in the holiday season with usage particularly high among young adults seeking coupons, according to a study sponsored by Motorola Inc and released on Monday.

The Australian Dollar opens higher on Monday at 0.9260 after U.S. non-farm payrolls came in weaker than expected sparking a sell-off in the greenback.

Qatar Real Estate Investments (Alaqaria) agreed to a takeover by Barwa Real Estate, the companies said on Sunday, in a deal creating Qatar's ninth-largest company with a market value of $3 billion.

Part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland has started the sale process for over 300 of its British branches, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Gordon Brown vowed to fight on as Britain's prime minister on Sunday after a poll showed support for his Labour party had firmed slightly over the past month despite a failed leadership coup last week.

New technologies showcased at this years Consumer Electronics Show are promising to bring diversity into the netbook market .

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the security forces on Saturday to take firm action against anti-government protesters.

Six out of 10 Icelandic voters plan to reject a bill on repayment of more than $5 billion owed to Britain and the Netherlands in a referendum on the so-called Icesave deal, according to a poll published by an Icelandic daily on Saturday.

The food industry worldwide is increasing using nanotechnology for use in food and packaging and according to The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, nanotechnology has the power to deliver benefits to the customers. However, the Parliamentary Committee has criticised the food industry for failing to be transparent about its research into the uses of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials.