CHINA

U.S. stocks climbed in a commodities-fueled rally on Monday after data showed the manufacturing sector expanded for a fifth straight month, lifting confidence in a global economic recovery.

Michael Widenius, the creator of the MySQL database and a potential stumbling block for Oracle (ORCL.O) in its takeover of Sun (JAVA.O), handed 14,000 signatures opposing the deal to regulators in Europe, China and Russia

Avatar sped past the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after three weekends in release, making it the fourth-biggest movie of all time, according to data released on Sunday.

Novartis seeks tighter Alcon grip; Whistleblower reprieve? Asian factories rise

Chinese police arrested thousands in a drive against Internet pornography throughout 2009, officials said, vowing a deepening crackdown that critics say is being used to tighten overall censorship.

Factories in Asia stepped up production in December, with China's output growing at its fastest pace on record, suggesting economic activity is gathering pace in the region that is leading the global recovery.

Lenovo Group Ltd is unveiling a new look for its classic ThinkPad line, and is including Advanced Micro Devices Inc microprocessors in the laptops for the first time.

Heavy snow hit Beijing on Sunday, stranding thousands of passengers at the main airport and casting an unusual quiet over normally busy streets as people stayed out of the freezing weather.

China's economic growth looks set to accelerate into the new year, with booming factories driving a December manufacturing survey to a 20-month high while South Korea's exports to the country surged on strong demand.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents appealed to China on New Year's Day to allow full democracy to be introduced soon in the city, as opposition lawmakers pressed forward with a mass resignation plan later this month.

Following are five big themes likely to dominate thinking of investors and traders in 2010 and the Reuters stories related to them.

Stocks soared this year; Wells Fargo's big pa day; Auto sales reprieve

North Korea called for an end to hostile ties with the United States and an atomic-free peninsula in a New Year message that comes weeks after it indicated it could end its year-long boycott of nuclear disarmament talks.

Chinese initial public offerings were some of the best U.S. performers of 2009, but also some of the worst, which could make underwriters of these deals more cautious in 2010

U.S. auto sales are expected to end 2009 on a slight upswing in December, capping a year that saw General Motors and Chrysler collapse into bankruptcy and China overtake the United States as the biggest car market.

German carmakers will gain market share by producing more smaller vehicles, even as competition in the global auto industry intensifies, the head of Germany's VDA automotive industry association said in an interview.

Gazprom is confident it will be able to supply China with large volumes of natural gas despite a recent deal between Beijing and Turkmenistan, the Russian gas export monopoly's chief spokesman said on Thursday.

Geely, China's No.1 private carmaker, said on Thursday that its parent company has strong support from the Chinese government to acquire Ford Motor's Volvo unit, and expects robust growth for China's auto industry in 2010, also with help from Beijing.

China on Thursday decried a U.S. decision to impose duties of 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe, the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China, and said it had been made a scapegoat of protectionist interests.

China on Thursday decried a U.S. decision to impose duties of 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe, the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China, and said it had been made a scapegoat of protectionist interests.

A U.S. trade panel gave final approval on Wednesday to duties ranging from about 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe in the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China.