CHINA

A former partner of D.E. Shaw and an ex-Goldman Sachs (GS.N) partner are setting up a new firm to raise about $500 million for a China-focused private equity fund to join the growing competition for deals in the world's No.2 economy, sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The top two U.S. defense officials have not confirmed if the Libyan government has been firing on its own people from aircraft.

Yahoo Inc is in advanced talks to exit its joint venture in Japan with SoftBank Corp, a move that could lead it to focus on reaching a decision on its China assets.

Sands China (1928.HK), the Macau-based casino operator run by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, driven by surging demand in the world's largest gaming market.

Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) won the rights to a giant Siberian gas field destined to supply the fast-growing markets of China, a spokesman for the sale organiser said on Tuesday.

The Chinese government blamed foreign reporters on Tuesday for a weekend ruckus with police who tried to prevent them covering a planned protest in Beijing, as rights groups slammed China for curtailing press freedoms.

China, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, wants rich nations to vow bigger cuts to emissions as part of a new international deal on fighting global warming, Beijing's top climate negotiator said on Tuesday.

China may have more potential than ever to influence U.S. debt prices after data showed the country owns more than a $1 trillion in Treasuries, almost a third more than previously thought.

With warships and missiles, Russia is flexing its muscles in the Far East in a bid to defend its position as an Asian power against China's growing might.

Manufacturing grew in February at its fastest rate in nearly seven years as companies' willingness to hire improved at the strongest pace in decades.

As the United States moves military ships toward the Mediterranean Sea and officials discuss the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said it was irresponsible to consider all options to resolve the situation there, including an invasion.

Boosted by the soccer World Cup, South Africa saw a record 15.1 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2010 although the total of more than 8 million was not an all time-high, the tourism minister said on Tuesday.

Morgan Stanley experienced a very sensitive break-in to its network by the same China-based hackers who attacked Google Inc's computers more than a year ago, Bloomberg reported, citing leaked emails from an Internet security company.

Mauritius' trade deficit widened 17.2 percent in 2010 as rising imports outstripped growth in exports, the statistics office said on Tuesday.

The silver market has greeted the revival of forward sales by miners with sanguinity as prices sit at 31-year highs, but other signals suggest supply may really be scarce and investors are poised for more price gains.

Chinese search engine Baidu.com, an e-commerce unit of Alibaba and Sweden torrent download site Pirate Bay have been named on the United States Trade Representative (USTR)'s Notorious Markets List.

Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures have invested $42 million in a San Francisco-based start up WeatherBill, a provider of insurance to farmers against weather-related damages.

World Race 2011 will have about 25 cars from different countries racing to circle the globe on the same path on which the 1908-winner drove.

U.S.-based discount coupon site Groupon.com has launched a group-buying site in China, called Gaopeng.com.

Costs for Chinese and Indian factories jumped in February, pointing to a need for more measures to prevent inflation from undermining the world's two fastest-growing economies, surveys showed on Tuesday.

Oil prices rose back above $112 a barrel on Tuesday due to concerns over unrest in the Middle East, though stock markets shrugged off the move, preferring to focus on optimism over the outlook for the U.S. economy.