CHINA

French food group Danone settled a legal row with China's top beverage producer Wahaha by selling out of their joint venture, as analysts speculated Danone is looking to the United States for a big acquisition.

Vietnam's central provinces battled the biggest floods in decades on Wednesday caused by a powerful typhoon that swept into the country after wreaking havoc in the Philippines.

Iran said on Wednesday it viewed talks with six world powers in Geneva as an opportunity and a test, while the United States weighed sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program if Thursday's meeting fails.

China will celebrate 60 years of Communist Party rule on Thursday with a massive military parade passing by Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, where Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic on October 1, 1949.

In a black-and-white photo from Tiananmen Square in 1970, the four young faces are serious, the clothes drab and nearly identical, and a copy of chairman Mao Zedong's little red book is clutched in every hand.

The Chinese capital Beijing is under lockdown on the eve of a massive military parade to mark six decades of Communist Party rule, with gun-toting police manning street corners to ensure nothing spoils the event.

Wall Street was set for a higher open on Wednesday as data showing the U.S. economy contracted at a slower-than-expected pace and robust factory activity from Asia gave investors more confidence about the economic recovery.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wednesday after robust factory data from Asia and better-than-expected results from Nike encouraged investors as the quarter comes to a close.

Oil rose toward $68 per barrel on Wednesday, buoyed by a fall in the dollar against major currencies at the end of the financial quarter, with the market also awaiting key U.S. oil data later in the day.

Las Vegas casino company Wynn Resorts raised $1.63 billion after pricing its Asian IPO at the top of its indicated range, a sign that demand is still strong for certain offerings despite a glut of Asian stock deals.

Oil rose above $67 per barrel on Wednesday, buoyed by a fall in the dollar against major currencies at the end of the financial quarter, with the market also awaiting key U.S. oil data later in the day.

Asian shares edged higher on Wednesday looking past a surprise fall in U.S. consumer confidence and the Australian dollar jumped to a 13-month high after August retail sales data beat forecasts.

Oil rose above $67 on Wednesday, recouping day-ago losses as the U.S. dollar eased against the euro and resource currencies like the Australian dollar, while eyes are on talks over Iran's nuclear plans.

Asian shares edged higher on Wednesday looking past a surprise fall in U.S. consumer confidence and the Australian dollar jumped to a 13-month high after August retail sales data beat forecasts.

Oil edged up to $67 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering from the previous day's losses as the dollar weakened against the euro and resource currencies like the Australian dollar.

SINGAPORE - Oil edged up to $67 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering from the previous day's losses as the dollar weakened against the euro and resource currencies like the Australian dollar.

The current boom in U.S. initial public offerings does not signal a free-for-all for prospective companies, which are closely watching the mixed performance of IPOs this week and last, the head of listings at the New York Stock Exchange parent company said on Tuesday.

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, Australia's third-largest iron ore miner, has missed a Sept 30 deadline to arrange financing with Chinese investors but remains in talks to reach agreement, the firm said on Wednesday.

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Citigroup Inc, the third largest U.S. bank, should expand its operations in China, according to a Chinese regulator cited by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

Nike Inc beat quarterly profit expectations as deep cost cuts and lower taxes more than offset crumbling revenue in key markets like the United States and China, sending its shares up 4.4 percent.