Consumer products company Newell Rubbermaid said it would buy competitor Jarden, the owner of brands including Breville and Sunbeam, for $15.4bn (£10bn).

The UK needs to start fracking to establish the economic impact of shale gas, according to an industry-funded body.

Seattle council has passed a measure allowing drivers for smartphone-based taxi services such as Uber to join a union.

The UK's inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Prices Index rose to 0.1% last month, the Office for National Statistics says.

Starbucks UK has paid more than £8m in tax in the past 12 months on the back of record profits, the coffee chain says.

MEPs reject new EU standards for diesel car emissions, arguing that they are not tough enough.

Underlying US inflation - excluding food and energy - rose in November, as the Federal Reserve starts its two-day meeting to decide whether to raise interest rates.

Investors in Asia were cautious on Tuesday as oil prices recovered slightly and the US Federal Reserve prepares for its two-day meeting, which starts later.