Finance minister George Osborne said Monday Britain was cutting links with Iranian banks because of "evidence" that they are involved in the development of a nuclear weapons program.

"The UK government has just announced new financial sanctions against Iran. We are ceasing all contact between the UK financial system and the Iranian banking system," Osborne said.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul headed to Britain on Sunday for a three-day state visit aimed at seeking support from the Turkey's ally in its bid to join the EU.

"I will underline the importance of England's continued support in making sure negotiations are not blocked by artificial political obstacles," Gul told journalists in Turkey before flying off to London.

Russia's point man on Africa said Saturday that Moscow was relieved that murdered Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi's son Seif al-Islam had been arrested and had escaped "summary justice".

"We are happy that this time the new authorities in Libya did not resort to summary justice for Seif al-Islam, the son of the ousted leader Gadhafi," the Russian presidency's special representative for Africa Mikhail Margelov said.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague is to hold talks with Syrian rebel leaders in London on Monday, a Foreign Office spokeswoman told AFP.

The leading opposition figures would also hold talks with senior officials from Prime Minister David Cameron's Downing Street office, another government ministry source said.

European nations said Thursday they have key Arab support for a U.N. resolution condemning human rights abuses by the Syrian government.

Diplomats from Germany, France and Britain tabled the resolution at the U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee on Thursday for a vote expected next Tuesday, officials said.

Germany, Britain and France are pressing for a U.N. resolution that would strongly condemn Syria's human rights violations and call for an immediate halt to all violence in the country.

The three European countries decided to move ahead with the General Assembly resolution after the Arab League confirmed its suspension of Syria Wednesday and gave Bashar Assad's government three days to halt the violence against civilians and accept an observer mission or face economic sanctions.

EU leaders called on Wednesday for Brussels to have power to rewrite national budgets to ensure the euro survives amid concerns that such discipline could clash with democracy.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Brussels would have to be given the power to scrutinize national budgets and demand changes before they are adopted.

Police said they arrested four men Tuesday in the central English city of Birmingham as part of an ongoing counter-terrorism investigation that has uncovered an alleged suicide bombing plot.

The men, three aged 19 and one 24, were detained under counter-terror laws in the Sparkhill area on suspicion of fundraising for terrorist purposes and of travelling to Pakistan to undertake terrorist training.

Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team looks set to rejoin the Volvo Ocean Race on Wednesday after the shore crew worked around the clock to repair their dismasted boat Azzam following a devastating first 24 hours in the world's toughest professional sailing event.

The 39,000-nautical mile, nine-month race claimed two victims on the first day after launching the opening leg between Alicante, Spain and Cape Town on Saturday with Walker's and Team Sanya representing China both forced to suspend racing.

The latest installment of the blockbuster Call of Duty videogame franchise went on sale Tuesday with publisher Activision saying pre-orders had topped last year's record-shattering "Call of Duty: Black Ops".

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" hit stores at midnight with thousands of fans lining up to be the first to get their hands on the game, the eighth title in a franchise that has won a devoted following since it was launched in 2003.