But the BCC said "the upturn in Q1 is likely to have been only slightly larger than the decline of 0.5% seen in Q4 2010", when the severe weather caused disruptions. That would mean output levels were only "marginally higher" than they were before the weather took its toll, the BCC said. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will release its first estimate of GDP for the first quarter on 27 April.

The survey, which questioned 6,000 businesses across the UK, said firms were being constrained by cashflow and price pressures. Some 80% of manufacturing firms said the cost of raw materials was putting pressure on them to raise prices. "Exporting activity remains strong, but there have been sharp declines in confidence, and cashflow is still a real concern for businesses," director general of the BCC, David Frost said.

The BCC's chief economist, David Kern, added that manufacturing still had the potential to drive the UK recovery, "but the international background has become riskier for Britain's exporters, while the domestic austerity plan will intensify pressures on businesses and consumers. In addition, the mediocre performance of the service sector will hinder the number of new jobs created this year," he said.

Hopes of stronger growth in the US and supply problems in western Africa have also helped to push oil prices higher. "Oil workers in Gabon have gone on strike again today which has hit production," said Joel Hanley, managing editor at Platts. "As a result the refineries are looking for barrels that currently aren't there and it's all pushing up the oil price."

Production by Libya, which is the world's 17th largest oil producer, with a 2% market share, has been almost completely shut down by the conflict there. There were also reports on Monday that Libyan rebels were advancing towards the oil town of Brega in renewed fighting in the east of the country. "In the short term, oil prices look very well supported," said Carsten Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. "The general market sentiment is positive, but we still feel that prices will come down later this year once the supply fears have dissipated."

Iran's oil minister also added to the pressure on oil prices by playing down the need for an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) to discuss whether to increase supply. Iran currently holds the rotating presidency of Opec, which produces about 40% of world crude. The organisation is not due to convene to discuss oil production until 2 June 2011, when its 12 member states will meet in Vienna, Austria.

Kuwait, one of the member countries, has said it believes the price of oil should be lower. Farouk al-Zanki, chief executive of Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the country's state oil company, has been quoted as saying $90 to $100 a barrel would be "the fair price" for crude.

The threat came as French forces were poised to evacuate foreigners ahead of an expected offensive by forces loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara. The UN recognised Mr Ouattara as the winner of a run-off election. The BBC's John James, in Abidjan, says explosions have been heard near the Agban military base in the city.

Choi Young-jin, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Ivory Coast, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme: "We are fast approaching a tipping point. We are planning action, we can no longer condone their [Mr Gbagbo's forces] reckless and mindless attack on civilians and the United Nations blue helmets with heavy weapons."

"We are now in a way under siege, so we cannot go out freely, [they're] targeting us with snipers, it's a deliberate shoot at United Nations. For the last few days we have 11 [peacekeepers] wounded by their gunshots. They are targeting the headquarters, they cut off the water... and we are now in the bunker."

The special representative said the 9,000 troops who are part of the UN mission in Ivory Coast (Unoci) did not have a mandate to dislodge Mr Gbagbo, but they did have the powers to respond to heavy weapons attacks against the UN or civilians.

Suharjono, the technical head of Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said shaking from the tremor had been felt in Pangandaran and Cilacap districts in Java. "This quake roused people from their sleep," he said. "We have not received any reports of damage or casualties so far."

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had said that there was no risk of a widespread destructive wave, but there was a "very small possibility of a local tsunami". The earthquake epicentre was 150 miles from the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island, and seismologists said the tremor was felt there, but no tsunami warning alert was issued for Australia.

A consortium of US organic farmers and seed dealers filed suit against global seed giant Monsanto Co (MON.N) on Tuesday, in a move to protect themselves from what they see as a growing threat in the company's arsenal of genetically modified crops. The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed the suit on behalf of more than 50 organizations challenging the agricultural giant's patents on its genetically modified seeds.

The group is seeking a ruling that would prohibit Monsanto from suing the farmers or dealers if their organic seed becomes contaminated with Monsanto's patented biotech seed germplasm. Monsanto is known for its zealous defense of its patents on a range of genetically altered crops. Its patented "Roundup Ready" soybeans, corn and cotton are favorites of US farmers because of their ability to withstand herbicide treatments.

But Monsanto has filed scores of lawsuits and won judgments against farmers they claimed made use of their seed without paying required royalties. Many farmers have claimed that their fields were inadvertently contaminated without their knowledge, and the issue has been a topic of concern for not only farmers, but also companies that clean and handle seed.

The ranks of solicitors working for law firms grew by 42.4 per cent between 2000 and 2010, according to the count by the Law Society. And there has been an increase of nearly 70 per cent in lawyers employed by local government since 1997 - taking the total of fully-qualified practising solicitors on town hall payrolls to 4,631, or around a dozen per council.

The report also underlines how the prosperity of the legal profession has alarmed politicians. Lawyers' pay has been rising fast at a time when many workers in both the private and public sectors have become accustomed to job losses and salary cuts. Last year the average starting salary of a trainee solicitor, taking their first step onto the career ladder, was 26,327 pounds - 8.1 per cent higher than the previous year.

The report from the professional body for solicitors, which is currently engaged in a vociferous campaign against Coalition plans to cut taxpayer-funded legal aid, acknowledged that this was 'a significant increase'. Since the mid-1990s the work available to lawyers has mushroomed, in part thanks to no win, no fee cases and the growth of human rights law.

The United States was supposed to have significantly begun dropping its participation in airstrikes over Libya. "Due to poor weather conditions over the last few days in Libya, the United States has approved a request by NATO to extend the use of some US strike aircraft," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told ABC News. "These aircraft will continue to conduct and support Alliance air-to-ground missions throughout this weekend."

A US Defense Department official said the aircraft Lungescu was referring to are the A-10 Thunderbolt jets, Marine AV-8 Harrier jets and AC-130 gunships, which are the best suited for striking ground force targets.

A sit-in was held in the square on Sunday as part of nationwide anti-government protests. According to witnesses, police also opened fire above the heads of protesters, and used batons to disperse the crowds. Medical sources said most of the injuries were from tear gas inhalation. "It was a peaceful demonstration. It became dangerous because of the tear gas. It's shameful to fire at peaceful protesters," one protester told Al Jazeera.

Governor Hamoud al-Soufi denied reports that one person had been killed in the clashes. He also said eight soldiers had been killed after clashes between "infiltrators" among protesters and some citizens forced riot police to intervene. The protest came a day after an opposition coalition called on Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh to hand over power to his deputy, Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The coalition has released details of their initiative for a peaceful transition of power, according to Al Jazeera's sources.

As part of his interim duties, they called on Saleh's deputy to reorganise the central and national security as well as the Republican Guard, the forces currently loyal to Saleh and controlled by his son and nephews. Hadi was appointed by Saleh as Yemen's vice-president after the civil war in 1994. He is well regarded by the opposition, and the negotiations between the president's advisers and the opposition took place at his house in Sanaa.

General Petraeus, who commands some 150,000 US and allied troops here, spoke after Afghan rioters angered by reports of the sacrilege sacked the United Nations compound in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, killing seven foreigners, and went on a lethal rampage in the southern city of Kandahar, waving Taliban flags.

The deadly rioting, which the Taliban say erupted spontaneously, has shocked the international community and highlighted the vulnerability of the embattled Afghan government. Urban mob violence against Western targets adds a disturbing new threat in a country that is fighting a mostly rural insurgency, and where foreign and local security forces are ill-prepared for riot control.

"Every security force leader's worst nightmare is being confronted by essentially a mob, if you will, especially one that can be influenced by individuals that want to incite violence, who want to try to hijack passions, in this case, perhaps understandable passions," General Petraeus said in the Sunday interview. "Obviously it's an additional serious security challenge in a country that faces considerable security challenges."

Back in September, when Terry Jones of the World Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, first announced his intention to burn Islam's holy book, General Petraeus publicly urged the preacher to abandon the plan, saying it would be exploited by the Taliban and endanger the lives of American soldiers. Reverend Jones's church shelved the idea at the time. But then he reversed course and his church held a "trial" of the Quran and incinerated the book in a videotaped ceremony March 20.

The Australian states of Queensland and Victoria were hit by floods and a cyclone in January and February. The biggest effect will be on the coal industry with output down by about a fifth. "Lost coal production could cost A$6 billion, which is A$1 billion more than previously estimated," Mr Swan said. "Damage to crops will be close to A$2 billion, and the loss of activity to the tourism industry is expected to amount to A$400 million," he added.

Australia's economic boom has been powered largely by the success of its commodities sector. Increasing demand for its resources from emerging economies has sustained an expansion of the Australian economy in recent years. As the floods and cyclone hit Australia's resource rich states, the impact on the overall economy is likely to be significant.

Mr Swan said the disasters will cut Australia's Gross Domestic Product by half a percentage point in the year through to 30 June. "No one was ever under any doubt that the financial toll of the devastation we've seen in Queensland and elsewhere in Australia this summer was going to be substantial," Mr Swan said. "The latest figures back that up and indicate the cost is likely to be even larger than initially thought," he added.

The cost of natural disasters at home is not the only worry for the Australian economy. Japan is Australia's second largest trading partner. Australia exported 15% of its goods to Japan in 2009-10. The quake and tsunami have hit Japanese industry hard with production at some of Japan's biggest manufacturers being halted or suspended. As a result, demand for raw materials is likely to fall in the short to medium term. The treasury department said that this is likely to result in a loss of A$2 billion ($2.07 billion) worth of trade for Australia.

His last, in which he oversaw the burning of a copy of the Koran after a six-hour mock trial, has been directly responsible for a wave of violence that began last night and has left 30 people dead and more than 150 injured. A second day of violence in Afghanistan today saw at least ten deaths, 78 injured and at least 17 arrests as protesters clash with security forces in Kandahar.

There were also reports of attempted suicide attacks on a US military base in Kabul, but these were not directly linked to Mr Jones's actions. But the vilified pastor remains unrepentant about his actions, and has even hinted that he will take his provocative stance further. He said in an interview today: 'It is definitely a consideration to stage a trial on the life of Mohammed in the future.' Such a move would trigger further violent protests in the Muslim world - even in more moderate Islamic states.

Mr Jones told the New York Times: 'It was intended to stir the pot; if you don't shake the boat, everyone will stay in their complacency. Emotionally, it's not all that easy. People have tried to make us responsible for the people who are killed. It's unfair and somewhat damaging.' Yesterday Mr Jones, who ignored international warnings that his actions would undoubtedly lead to violent reprisals, said the blame laid at the feet of the attackers.

He said: 'We must hold these countries and people accountable for what they have done as well as for any excuses they may use to promote their terrorist activities. The time has come to hold Islam accountable. Our United States government and our President must take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace. We demand action from the United Nations. Muslim dominated countries can no longer be allowed to spread their hate against Christians and minorities.'

The Obama administration is hoping that if Gaddafi's government doesn't implode soon, a relentless campaign of airstrikes on his tanks, air defenses and most trusted army units will at least weaken his ability to survive a renewed uprising by a disjointed opposition. The rebels initially rattled Gaddafi but in recent days have given up most of their gains.

The bottom line, according to Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "He's still killing his people." So the mission remains incomplete, but the US is following through on a pledge to shift the main combat burden to Britain, France and other NATO allies. Starting Sunday, no US combat aircraft are to fly strike missions in Libya. NATO's on-scene commander can request American strikes in the days ahead, in which case they may have to be approved in Washington.

In a further indication that Gaddafi's resilience may be eroding, his government is trying to hold talks with the US, Britain and France in hopes of ending the air campaign, said Abdul-Ati al-Obeidi, a former Libyan prime minister who has served as a Gaddafi envoy during the crisis.

The scientists behind the research believe milk from herds of genetically modified cows could provide an alternative to human breast milk and formula milk for babies, which is often criticised as being an inferior substitute. They hope genetically modified dairy products from herds of similar cows could be sold in supermarkets. The research has the backing of a major biotechnology company.

The work is likely to inflame opposition to GM foods. Critics of the technology and animal welfare groups reacted angrily to the research, questioning the safety of milk from genetically modified animals and its effect on the cattle's health. But Professor Ning Li, the scientist who led the research and director of the State Key Laboratories for AgroBiotechnology at the China Agricultural University insisted that the GM milk would be as safe to drink as milk from ordinary dairy cows.

He said: "The milk tastes stronger than normal milk. We aim to commercialize some research in this area in the coming three years. For the 'human-like milk', 10 years or maybe more time will be required to finally pour this enhanced milk into the consumer's cup." China is now leading the way in research on genetically modified food and the rules on the technology are more relaxed than those in place in Europe.

Scientists insist genetically modified foods are unlikely to pose a threat to food safety and in the United States consumers have been eating genetically modified foods for more decades. However, during two experiments by the Chinese researchers, which resulted in 42 transgenic calves being born, just 26 of the animals survived after ten died shortly after birth, most with gastrointestinal disease, and a further six died within six months of birth.

Speaking from the pulpit of Chicago's Mosque Maryam, the Nation of Islam's international headquarters, purchased 40 years ago with a $3 million loan from Gaddafi, Farrakhan blamed demons for altering President Barack Obama's moral conscience and driving the assault on Gaddafi, who he calls a brother.

"It is a terrible thing for me to hear my brother called all these ugly and filthy names when I can't recognize him as that," Farrakhan said to the crowd assembled at the mosque on Chicago's South Side. "Even though the current tide is moving against him... how can I refuse to raise my voice in his defense? Why would I back down from those who have given so much?"

In 2006 Gaddafi addressed Nation of Islam members via satellite, lauding Farrakhan for being a "courageous freedom fighter" who galvanized African-Americans at the Million Man March in Washington, DC, and Muslims in nations around the world. During that speech, Gaddafi panned America for taxing poor people, who the Libyan leader said do not benefit from space exploration or support of "a Hebrew state. Consequently," he said, "the voice of Louis Farrakhan will be heard among the simple people louder than the president of the United States."

On Thursday, Farrakhan said scenes from an earthquake and tsunami ravaged Japan inspired him to warn the American people about an impending natural disaster that will punish them for their arrogance. "A major earthquake is on the way to you and me and us," he said. "Death and destruction is at the door of all of us, and we are worse prepared than the Japanese."

Four UN soldiers were seriously wounded by Mr Gbagbo's forces on Saturday. Further details have meanwhile emerged about the deaths of as many as 1,000 civilians in the west of the country. Catholic charity Caritas said they had been shot or hacked to death with machetes in a part of Duekoue, controlled by troops loyal to Mr Ouattara.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the BBC: "At this time, I strongly urge Mr Gbagbo to step down and transfer power to the legitimately elected president... Mr Ouattara." Once Mr Gbagbo had gone, Mr Ban said he expected Mr Ouattara to begin the process of reconciliation and restore the rule of law. Mr Ouattara was internationally recognised as president after winning a run-off vote in November, but Mr Gbagbo also claimed victory and refused to leave office.