UNITED KINGDOM

The World Health Organization is getting close to declaring a full H1N1 influenza pandemic but wants to make sure countries are well prepared for such a move to prevent a panic, its top flu expert said Tuesday.

UK-based oil explorer Heritage Oil agreed to merge with Genel Energy International, a unit of Turkey's Cukurova Group CUKRO.UL, to create an oil producer focused on Iraqi Kurdistan worth around $5.5 billion.

In 1943, at the height of World War Two, Britain had little left in the bank but still spent 50 percent of gross domestic product on defense. To win the war, there was little other choice.

World stocks rose on Tuesday, led by a rebound in Europe, while the dollar slipped and investors sought fresh signs that the global economy is at least not getting worse.

Asian shares fell on Tuesday for a second consecutive session as investors worried that a recent rally may be overdone, though oil prices extended gains ahead of data this week expected to show a fall in U.S. crude inventories.

Barclays Plc is in talks to sell Barclays Global Investors , the British bank said on Monday, with U.S. fund manager BlackRock the frontrunner to land the asset manager for about $12 billion.

Australian Dollar: The Australian Dollar opens beneath US79 cents for the first time since May 29 amid further greenback strength overnight. As expected, trading was fairly muted yesterday thanks to the Queen's Birthday public holiday.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown survived a challenge to his authority on Monday, winning over Labour members of parliament after admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for a week of political turmoil.

Labour members of parliament (MPs) cheered British Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he arrived to address them on Monday for a meeting that will help to decide his political future.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced the prospect of a new challenge to his leadership on Monday when support for his ruling Labour Party plunged to its lowest level in a century after European elections.

Barclays Plc is in talks to sell Barclays Global Investors , the British bank said on Monday, with U.S. fund manager BlackRock the frontrunner to land the asset manager for about $12 billion.

Two senior Europe-based partners in U.S. private equity firm Cerberus, majority owner of carmaker Chrysler, have left the company, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the company.

U.S. Treasuries bonds will not become a less attractive investment even if the U.S. sovereign credit rating is cut, Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin was quoted as saying on Saturday.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, battling to avert the collapse of his government, said on Saturday he would stick to his policies, as his Labor Party faced a European election drubbing.

U.S. President Barack Obama paid homage to the heroes of D-Day on Saturday, saying their assault on Normandy's beaches exactly 65 years ago had helped save the world from evil and tyranny.

Regulators and politicians who want to curb the huge bonuses paid to financiers in the wake of the global credit crisis may find the banking sector's response even more unpalatable.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday marked the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings on France's Normandy beaches, an important World War Two breakthrough in the battle against Nazi Germany.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sought to fend off a challenge to his authority on Friday, reshuffling his cabinet to secure the loyalty of several ministers and averting a government collapse.

U.S. President Barack Obama travels to Normandy Saturday to mark the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings on beaches in northern France that led to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany.

U.S. employers last month cut the fewest jobs since September and international policy-makers said the worst of the downturn may be over as more positive corporate news popped up around the globe.

Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) Chief Executive Josef Ackermann said the global economic crisis was likely to persist and that a recovery depends on an improvement in the U.S. real estate market.