CHINA

Chinese dairy products maker Taizinai, which counts Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley among its investors and Citigroup among its lenders, has collapsed, leaving around 3 billion yuan ($440 million) in unpaid debt, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

U.S. railroad CSX Corp reported a 22 percent jump in quarterly earnings on Tuesday, beating analysts' estimates and offering fresh signals that the economy is ticking upward.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday the Obama administration will push China forcefully to open its markets and maintain fair trading rules.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday the Obama administration will push China forcefully to open its markets and maintain fair trading rules. Interviewed during an appearance before a meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Geithner repeated that it was important for China to move toward a flexible currency rate regime and added that he felt Beijing understands it was in that nation's own interest to do so.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday the Obama administration will push China forcefully to open its markets and maintain fair trading rules.

Money-losing smartphone maker Palm Inc tapped Huawei Technologies for preliminary acquisition talks, a move that would give the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker a foothold in the premium mobile phone market.

The U.S. trade deficit with China narrowed to its lowest level in nearly a year in February, while the nation's overall trade gap widened as strengthening domestic demand triggered a surge in imports.

A jump in imports of consumer goods and other products widened the U.S. trade gap in February to $39.7 billion, but the closely watched bilateral deficit with China was its lowest in nearly a year, a government report showed on Tuesday.

A jump in imports of consumer goods and other products widened the U.S. trade gap in February to $39.7 billion, but the closely watched bilateral deficit with China was its lowest in nearly a year, a government report showed on Tuesday.

Honda Motor Co unveiled on Tuesday an all-electric scooter that will mark its first attempt at mass-marketing zero-emission motorbikes, with an eye to eventually taking on rivals in the massive Chinese market.

China is on a gold buying spree these days. The Chinese central bank-the People's Bank of China-is taking a series of steps to increase its gold reserves to ensure that the precious yellow metal replaces forex reserves held in the US dollar. Chinese people in cities, small towns and rural areas are buying gold jewellery, gold coins and gold bars for investment like never before. Gold jewellery showrooms are mushrooming across the Chinese hinterland.

Ford Motor Co is open to partnerships in green car technology but will be cautious in committing to any alliance, Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said on Monday.

Wall Street was set for a slightly lower open on Tuesday, a day after Alcoa posted in-line earnings but lower-than-expected revenues as the Dow closed above 11,000 for the first time in almost 19 months.

A jump in imports of consumer goods and other products widened the U.S. trade gap in February to $39.7 billion, but the closely watched bilateral deficit with China was its lowest in nearly a year, a government report showed on Tuesday.

Oil fell for a fifth straight session to below $84 on Tuesday, almost erasing April's gains, as a forecast increase in U.S. crude stocks highlighted rising supplies and weak demand in the world's largest energy consumer.

Global oil demand will hit a record high this year, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday, revising up consumption estimates as the world economy recovers from recession.

China's Huawei Technologies has been tapped by money-losing smartphone maker Palm Inc for preliminary acquisition talks, a source familiar with the matter said.

China has abandoned parts of an indigenous innovation push in government buying of high-tech products that has rankled the Obama administration, EU and foreign companies, fearing protectionist barriers.

China will chart its own course in reforming the yuan, President Hu Jintao told President Barack Obama, reinforcing the view that Beijing is likely to tip-toe, not leap, toward appreciation.

Oil fell for a fifth straight session to about $84 on Tuesday, almost erasing April's gains, as a forecast increase in U.S. crude inventories fanned concern about excess supplies and sluggish demand growth.

Google Inc's chief executive Eric Schmidt said the company's disruptive business created enemies for world's No.1 search engine, and he said that governments were keeping a close watch on the firm.