UNITED KINGDOM

The British government will set out a route map on Wednesday showing how it plans to meet its 2020 target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent compared to 1990 levels, a minister said on Sunday.

The chief executive of North Sea gas producer Venture Production said its shareholders were looking for significantly in excess of the 845 pence a share takeover offer made by Centrica Friday.

An opposition blogger in Azerbaijan has been remanded in custody pending trial on hooliganism charges, prompting protests from his employer, oil major BP Plc, a media rights group said on its website.

Britain's largest gas retailer, Centrica Plc, which operates under the British Gas brand, made a $2 billion bid for North Sea gas producer Venture Production Plc on Friday as it seeks to increase its gas reserves.

The British newspaper arm of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp denied on Friday allegations its journalists had hacked into the phones of thousands of public figures, following days of damning headlines.

Property investors are turning to the student accommodation sector as a would-be phoenix rising from the ashes of the UK real estate market, promising growth in returns and size for at least the next few years.

Anglo American Plc appointed veteran industrialist John Parker as chairman on Friday, moving to bolster its leadership as it seeks to fend off an unwanted merger proposal by rival Xstrata Plc .

Fourteen Britons who had contracted H1N1 flu have died and the rapid spread of infection in two areas of the country is close to epidemic level, health officials said on Thursday.

The Bank of England cut the pace at which it pumps money into Britain's economy on Thursday after unexpectedly deciding not to expand its 125 billion pound ($204 billion) asset buying scheme, raising fears it may stop purchases completely.

Michael Jackson's tear jerking memorial was watched by over 31.1 million people across 18 U.S. TV networks and cable outlets, less than Obama's inauguration but about the same as 'American Idol'.

The U.S. military on Thursday handed over to Iraqi authorities five Iranian officials it had detained in Iraq, and they would be transferred to Tehran shortly, Iraqi and Iranian officials said.

Iran will not back down even one step over its nuclear work, a senior adviser to the country's top authority said in remarks published on Thursday, making clear Tehran's continued defiance in a row with the West.

U.S. President Barack Obama said at the G8 summit on Thursday there is still time to close the gap with developing powers on climate change, after the U.N. chief criticised the G8 for not going hard enough.

The Bank of England decided on Thursday to stick to its program of pumping 125 billion pounds into the economy, defying expectations it would expand its bond purchases and boosting fears it may be about to end the scheme.

Leaders of the world's richest nations and major developing powers meet on Thursday to seek common ground on global warming and international trade, with the poorer countries seeking concessions.

American International Group Inc has resumed talks to sell its American Life Insurance Co unit to MetLife Inc in a transaction that could help the stricken insurer raise more than $15 billion, the Financial Times said.

The Bank of England surprised markets on Thursday by keeping its quantitative easing program unchanged at 125 billion pounds, boosting speculation that it may soon finish its unprecedented asset-buying scheme.

The Bank of England surprised markets by announcing no expansion of its quantitative easing scheme on Thursday as it left interest rates unchanged at a record low of 0.5 percent for a fourth month running.

Forecast-beating results from U.S. bellwether Alcoa helped lift European stocks and draw global equities out of the red on Thursday, while currency markets reversed some of their recent cautious patterns.

Australian Dollar: The Australian Dollar opens lower on Thursday at 0.7780 in what may be the beginning of the correction we had to have.

The G8 agreed on Wednesday to try to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent, but it failed to persuade China and India to join a bid to halve world emissions.