UNITED KINGDOM

Tim Hart, a founding member of British folk-rock group Steeleye Span, has died of lung cancer, the band's record company said on Wednesday.

The Australian Dollar spent the majority of local trade yesterday above the 89 cent mark before a brief bout of profit taking late Sydney time took the Aussie down towards the low 89's.

Scottish singer Susan Boyle narrowly failed to claim honors for the year's best-selling album in the United States on Wednesday, but still has another sales week to wrest the title from country star Taylor Swift.

Singer Van Morrison became a father again on Monday at the age of 64 after his manager gave birth to a son he described as the spitting image of his daddy.

Briton Peter Moore, taken hostage in Baghdad in 2007, has been released alive, the Iraqi and British governments said on Wednesday.

Luxury car dealer H.R.Owen said it expected to return to profitability in 2010 and predicted better trading conditions, lifting its shares more than 6 percent on Wednesday.

Britain's Takeover Panel granted confectionery maker Cadbury three extra days to publish 2009 results that could become a key plank in its defense against Kraft Food's hostile 10 billion pound ($15.9 billion) bid.

Asian share markets fell on Wednesday as year-end trade dwindled, with profit-taking pulling down shares and bankruptcy worries about Japan Airlines weighing on the Nikkei, while the dollar rose broadly.

The Australian Dollar held above the 88 cents mark yesterday as news out of China indicated that economic forecasts would keep pace with expectations in 2010 and that it would maintain stimulus polices currently in place.

A representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday opposition leaders were enemies of God who should be executed under the country's sharia law.

JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon called British Finance Minister Alistair Darling earlier this month to say Britain's 50 percent tax on bankers' bonuses punishes the bank unfairly, a person close to the bank said.

General Motors unit Opel said new registrations of its cars rose to the highest level in four years in 2009, when government-backed scrapping incentives bolstered a floundering European auto industry.

Technology exists that might have detected explosives hidden in the underwear of a Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a plane over Detroit, but cost and privacy worries have until now prevented its widespread use.

Strength in mining stocks helped Britain's top share index recover on Tuesday to levels not seen since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, though banks were weak.

Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied on Tuesday, state media said, and a reformist party called on Iran's rulers to apologise to the nation two days after eight people were killed in anti-government protests.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was appalled at China's execution of a Briton caught smuggling heroin on Tuesday, prompting China to denounce British accusations and defend its court system.

Apple's data-hungry iPhone at times overwhelmed operator O2's network in London during the last six months but additional capacity helped ease the problem by December, O2 said on Tuesday.

World stocks floated below year highs on Tuesday, extending a year-end rally with Britain's FTSE rising to pre-Lehman levels.

Australian shares rose on Tuesday, helped by gains in oil and metals and by merger activity, but stock markets elsewhere in Asia lagged as year-end activity dwindled and the dollar's rally ran out of steam.

Gold futures on Monday traded relatively higher in the global markets. UK markets were shut due to low liquidity. COMEX Gold futures for February delivery are trading up $6.4 at $ 1110.5 per ounce, while MCX February gold futures hit a high of Rs 16910 trading up over Rs 50 at Rs 16878 per 10 grams.

The Australian Dollar opens above 88 cents this morning as a continued lack of liquidity during the holiday period continues to keep the market subdued.