CHINA

Nissan Motor Co , Japan's third-largest automaker, returned to quarterly profit on Tuesday and lifted its outlook for the second time, as brisk global sales signal the worst may be over for the auto industry.

China plans to crack down on the online gambling industry, including the banks and websites that support it, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement posted on its website.

A consortium led by Walt Disney Co is in advanced talks to buy into China's largest in-bus digital media and advertising company, a deal that could offer the U.S. entertainment giant a new platform to promote Mickey Mouse in China, three sources told Reuters.

A Chinese-born engineer was sentenced Monday to more than 15 years in prison for hoarding sensitive information about the US space shuttle with the intent on giving it to China.

International pressure for new sanctions against Iran grew on Monday after Tehran announced more moves to expand nuclear fuel production and enrichment plants, heightening Western fears it wants to make atom bombs.

Australia's BHP Billiton named Chris Campbell as president of the firm's iron ore business on Monday, the second major management reshuffle among top miners in the country focused on soaring demand from China.

Electric cars must be backed by smart power networks if they are to help the world's climate problems, environmentalists warned on Monday as European ministers prepared to debate a strategy for the sector.

China's third-largest online game operator NetEase.com said it has suspended new user registration for World of Warcraft in China and will reapply for a license to operate the expansion pack of Activision Blizzard's hit game.

China has closed what it claims to be the largest hacker training website in the country and arrested three of its members, domestic media reported on Monday.

A senior Chinese envoy was in North Korea to prod the reclusive state back to stalled nuclear talks while the South sent a team across the border on Monday for talks to restart tourism projects halted due to political wrangling.

Chinese inspectors tracing new cases of contaminated milk have shut dairy firms in the northwest and seized 72 metric tons of milk powder tainted with melamine, an industrial compound that killed at least six children in 2008.

The Aussie dollar remained relatively range bound on Friday bouncing between 0.8650 and 0.8700 for the majority of the Asian session.

Trade tensions are starting to flare as the pace of the global economic revival shows signs of slowing.

U.S. stocks face more turbulence that could send indexes spiraling through key levels this week as doubts about the global recovery's pace persist and fears linger over Europe's sovereign debt woes.

Finance chiefs from the world's rich powers focused on the euro zone's debt crisis at an Arctic summit and a top official said Europe was determined to solve its problems without the International Monetary Fund.

A U.S. missionary was on his way home on Saturday after he was freed by North Korea, which had detained him on Christmas day for illegally crossing the border.

Finance chiefs from the world's rich powers opened an icy summit on Friday mulling how to prevent worry about deepening southern European debt from derailing an already fragile global recovery.

Stocks face more turbulence that could send indexes spiraling through key levels next week as doubts about the pace of the global recovery persist and fears over Europe's sovereign debt woes rattle sentiment.

The H1N1 strain is the dominant form of influenza globally, but some seasonal strains are starting to emerge in China and Africa, the World Health Organization reported.

Six major powers on Friday discussed efforts to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program but China made clear it wants them to keep talking rather than impose new sanctions on Tehran.

U.S. meat producer Tyson Foods Inc reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter profit and predicted even better profit margins for its chicken business.