CHINA

Oil rose above $74 a barrel on Wednesday, bouncing from earlier losses, as the euro extended gains against the dollar on hopes for a bailout for Greece.

Top global miner BHP Billiton signaled caution over a sustained global recovery and held off from a share buyback after reporting its weakest first-half profit in four years. BHP's July-December profit nevertheless beat market forecasts and was 24 percent stronger than in the previous half, spurring the miner to raise its dividend slightly, pushing its shares up more than 3 percent...

Asian stocks rose on Wednesday on signs that the European Union may rescue debt-strapped Greece, coaxing nervous investors back to riskier assets, but uncertainty over the plan weighed on the euro.

Senior Chinese military officers have proposed that their country boost defense spending, adjust PLA deployments, and possibly sell some U.S. bonds to punish Washington for its latest round of arms sales to Taiwan.

In the last few months, we have been reading predictions and forecasts from bullion analysts who insisted and argued that gold price is booming to touch $2,000, $3,000, $5,000, $10,000 per ounce in the coming years. These forecasts have caught people's attention who have been pouring money into gold and other precious metals all these months. But after the big surge of gold price to $1,227 per ounce some two months back, the yellow metal has been climbing down the ladder of speculation.

Google Inc co-founder Sergey Brin said on Tuesday it has become very hard to operate in China, but he is optimistic that the Internet company can continue to open up information for everyone everywhere, free of political censorship.

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday on investors' relief that help for Greece may finally arrive.

International Dairy Queen, the ice cream retailer owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, said on Tuesday that it planned in 2010 to open its first stores in Egypt and Macau.

McDonald's Corp beat expectations with a 2.6 percent increase in January sales at established restaurants, as overseas results overcame a sluggish performance in the United States.

McDonald's Corp posted an expectations-topping 2.6 percent increase in January sales at established restaurants, as overseas results overshadowed a sluggish performance in the United States.

Senior Chinese military officers have proposed that their country boost defence spending, adjust PLA deployments, and possibly sell some U.S. bonds to punish Washington for its latest round of arms sales to Taiwan.

Coca-Cola Co reported stronger-than-expected quarterly sales as higher demand for its beverages in China, India and Brazil offset a drop in North America, sending the world's largest soft-drink maker's shares up 3.3 percent.

McDonald's Corp posted an expectations-topping 2.6 percent increase in January sales at established restaurants, as overseas results overshadowed a sluggish performance in the United States.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, led by commodity-related stocks, as speculation Greece would get help from the European Union to cut the country's deficit weakened the U.S. dollar, lifting prices of oil and basic materials.

A Chinese activist who sought to document shoddy construction that contributed to deaths in China's devastating 2008 earthquake has been sentenced to five years in prison for subversion, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that the United States wanted a U.N. Security Council resolution within weeks to tackle Iran's nuclear programme as Iran said it had begun making higher-grade nuclear fuel.

The world's richest economies are set to grow faster this year than forecast a month ago, although the latest Reuters economic outlook showed the upturn will be feeble in comparison to resurgent emerging market peers.

North Korea's top nuclear envoy arrived in Beijing on Tuesday as Pyongyang said it was willing to step up talks with China on resuming stalled disarmament-for-aid talks.

Coca-Cola Co reported a quarterly profit in line with analysts' estimates as strong volume in China, India and Brazil offset a decline in North America.

Iran began making higher-grade nuclear fuel on Tuesday, state television reported, and the Pentagon said the United States wanted a U.N. Security Council resolution on Iran within weeks over its nuclear program.

The world's richest economies are set to grow faster this year than forecast a month ago, although the latest Reuters economic outlook showed the upturn will be feeble in comparison to resurgent emerging market peers.