CHINA

Oil hovered below $45 on Thursday, after surging nearly 9 percent overnight on government data showing a surprise drop in U.S. crude stocks, which could signal recovering demand in the world's top energy consumer.

Seoul shares are set to rise on Thursday after solid gains on Wall Street, with news that an additional Chinese stimulus package is in the works likely to boost sentiment and eyes on the won currency.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday, ending a five-day losing streak, as another Chinese stimulus package boosted commodity prices and encouraged investors to jump into energy and natural resource shares.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday, ending a five-day losing streak, as another Chinese stimulus package boosted commodity prices and encouraged investors to jump into energy and natural resource shares.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday, ending a five-day losing streak, as another Chinese stimulus package boosted commodity prices and encouraged investors to jump into energy and natural resource shares.

Royal Bank of Scotland said on Wednesday it plans to sell the retail and commercial banking businesses of newly-acquired ABN AMRO China, part of efforts to exit from these operations in Asia.

Oil settled nearly 9 percent higher on Wednesday after data showed an unexpected drop in U.S. crude stocks and an increase in gasoline demand.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday as shares at 12-year lows lured investors to break a five-day sell-off and a jump in oil and other commodities boosted energy and natural resource companies.

Oil rose over 7 percent on Wednesday after data showed an unexpected drop in U.S. crude stocks and an increase in gasoline demand.

Oil rose over 6 percent on Wednesday after data showed an unexpected drop in U.S. crude stocks and an increase in gasoline demand.

Stocks rose on Wednesday as investors jumped back into the market following a five-day sell-off that drove Wall Street to 12-year lows, while soaring prices of oil and other commodities lifted energy and natural resource shares.

A surge in Chinese manufacturing plus hopes for additional stimulus there injected a rare dose of optimism into the global economic picture on Wednesday, even though Europe's services sector fell to new lows and the United States suffered more job losses.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, snapping a five-day sell-off as a jump in the price of oil and other commodities spurred energy and natural resource stocks.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, snapping a five-day sell-off as a jump in the price of oil and other commodities spurred energy and natural resource stocks.

U.S. crude oil futures extended their gains to above $45 on Wednesday after stocks of crude in the United States declined unexpectedly and demand for gasoline rose.

U.S. crude oil futures jumped more than $2 to above $43 per barrel on Wednesday, after an oil leak and fire on a Russian pipeline disrupted exports.

HONG KONG - Tullow Oil is the latest Africa-focused energy firm to draw Chinese takeover interest, but the $8 billion oil and gas independent, emboldened by its prospects, has snubbed potential buyers, dealmakers say.

A North Korean missile launch may not come for some time although the communist state has been preparing its longest-range rocket for a test flight, South Korea's unification minister said on Wednesday.

Purchases by governments and state-backed firms made up a record proportion of global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in February, underscoring how the financial crisis has sidelined private-sector buyers.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Stocks rose at the open on Wednesday after a sell-off the previous session left indexes at 12-year lows, with a jump in the price of oil and other commodities spurring energy and natural resource stocks.