UNITED KINGDOM

The Aussie dollar held firm in local trade yesterday despite a massive and unexpected turnaround in the countries trade balance.

World stocks rose toward this week's 7-1/2 month high on Friday as resource stocks rallied after oil prices surged past $69 a barrel and optimism grew about an improving U.S. labor market ahead of key jobs data.

Asian shares, oil and higher-yielding currencies rose on Friday as hopes for a global economic recovery drove up appetite for riskier assets, but traders were cautious ahead of U.S. monthly job data.

Whatever the outcome of Iran's June 12 presidential election, the Obama administration hopes Tehran will then end months of stalling and respond to Washington's overtures for better relations.

Citi Private Bank announced Thursday the appointed of Peter Charrington as the Chief Executive Officer of its North American business.

Voting began in Britain and the Netherlands Thursday in a European Parliament election which is expected to punish governments that have struggled to cope with the global economic crisis.

The European Central Bank kept its interest rates on hold on Thursday, and markets are turning their attention to the details of its covered bond purchase plan and any clues on whether rates may yet be cut further.

Chinese state-owned metals firm Chinalco may revise its planned $19.5 billion investment in miner Rio Tinto before a June 14 deadline to avoid further delays in Australian government approval, two sources close to the deal said on Thursday.

Targeted advertising firm Phorm is launching a service that promises to direct consumers who choose to participate to the most relevant parts of Websites they visit, based on their browsing history.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will lease approximately 500 plug-in hybrid vehicles worldwide which are based its the third-generation

A British woman who became pregnant while awaiting trial in Laos was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison after being found guilty of drug smuggling.

Al Qaeda's North African wing said on Wednesday it had carried out its threat to kill a British hostage it was holding in the Sahara.

A second British cabinet minister announced she was resigning Wednesday, undermining Prime Minister Gordon Brown's authority and his future as leader of the increasingly out-of-favor Labor Party.

Australian Dollar: As expected the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold at 3% yesterday with the major surprise coming in the form of a much lower than expected Current Account Deficit in the first quarter of the year.

Singapore state investor Temasek sold its stake in British bank Barclays Plc several months ago at a big loss, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

European stocks fell and Wall Street was set for a weaker start on Wednesday as investors turned cautious after economic optimism pushed world stocks to fresh 7-1/2 month highs and sterling to 2009 peaks earlier.

Schroders is adding wind power and forestry stocks to its climate change portfolio, saying heightened investor interest in the green theme should support share performances in the second half.

Asian shares rose to fresh eight-month highs on Wednesday, as U.S. home sales data added to optimism that the global economy is through the worst, while the dollar struggled off its latest set of lows for the year.

The spread of H1N1 flu in Australia, Britain, Chile, Japan and Spain has nudged the world closer to a pandemic, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

The first sighting off Brazil's coast of possible wreckage from a missing Air France jet signals the start of what could be one of the most challenging operations ever mounted to retrieve the tell-tale black box.

Global consumer confidence is stabilizing after falling for 18 months, providing a glimmer of hope for a shattered world economy in which three quarters of households cut spending, a survey showed on Tuesday.