Abu Dhabi - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) condemned the recent attack by US forces on Syria and called on the US to resolve any dispute with Syria "in a diplomatic way."

Helsinki - Danish author Naja Marie Aidt on Tuesday accepted the 2008 Nordic Council Literature Prize, worth 350,000 kroner (59,000 dollars).

Amsterdam - The share value of Dutch insurer Aegon dropped sharply on Tuesday to 2.92 euros (3.63 dollars), down 13.73 per cent, just before closing time.

Frankfurt - German airline Lufthansa AG joined on Tuesday the growing list of European companies issuing profit warnings after high fuel costs hit the group's earnings.

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Tuesday for early reforms of world financial markets as she met with a panel of German experts who have been appointed to draw up proposals.