BOURNEMOUTH, England, Sept 26, 2007 (AFP) - Britain's ruling Labour Party issued activists at its annual conference with a 'campaign toolkit' Wednesday, the latest hint that it is preparing for a possible election within weeks.

The pack, which was left under seats at the conference centre in Bournemouth, southern England, contains advice 'to help your local party be in the best possible position to fight and win the next general election,' Labour Party General Secretary Peter Watt wrote in the introduction.

TOKYO, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) - He may be the underdog in the race to become prime minister, but with his love of comic books and streetwise talk of pop culture, Taro Aso has plenty of support among Japan's disillusioned youth.

'Aso understands the youth culture,' said 16-year-old Riku Shimoda, one of those who turned out to hear the two candidates vying to replace Shinzo Abe stump for votes in the neon-infested, teeny-bopper haven of Shibuya.

'Old folks usually do not care about what we do or say,' added his friend Naotoshi Orii.

LONDON, Sept 6, 2007 (AFP) - A cross-party campaign is set to kick off Thursday, calling on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to give the country a referendum on the new European Union treaty.

The campaign -- 'I Want a Referendum' -- includes parliamentarians from all the three main political parties, including a handful of former ministers from the governing Labour Party.

Its website will be published later on Thursday, and the campaign will also air a cinema advert this month, in addition to grassroots drives across the country.

LONDON, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - The British government is failing in its historic duty of care towards members of the country's armed forces, a leading military veterans organisation said Wednesday.

The Royal British Legion claims that the military covenant guaranteeing fair treatment by the government in return for service personnel foregoing individual rights and risking serious injury or death is not being upheld.

LONDON, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - The treatment of businessmen in the so-called 'cash for honours' investigation in which no one was charged risks damaging future charitable giving, a major donor to the governing Labour Party said in an interview published Monday.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Andrew Rosenfold, a property developer, said that a consequence of the police inquiry had been 'to undermine the serious commitment' of certain individuals to good causes.