China's securities regulator has approved the creation of at least three new mutual funds to raise more than 20 billion yuan ($2.8 billion), in an apparent effort to support the sagging stock market, sources said on Friday.
Copper declined on Thursday for a second day on speculation China's supplies will rise. Aluminum futures climbed.
Google plans to enter the online music market in China for the first time, as it steps up its battle with local incumbent Baidu.com Inc, media reported on Thursday. Google is expected to announce a joint venture with Top100.cn, to allow users to listen to and download licensed music files for free, major portal Sina.com said, citing local newspaper reports based on sources close to the U.S. firm.
China is stepping up efforts to fight pollution. It will aim to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide by 6 per cent from their 2005 levels this year, the top environmental official said in remarks published on Tuesday.
Copper futures gained on Tuesday for a fifth straight session as inventories declined.
The weakening U.S. dollar means some immigrants must dig deeper to send money home.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday Iran was still seeking to build nuclear weapons and called for a greater international effort to prevent Tehran from succeeding.
Four people including a former Boeing engineer and US Defense Department weapons expert were held on Monday on suspicion of stealing Space Shuttle secrets and spying for China.
Copper futures fell in New York as inventories had a steep drop. Earlier copper had reached its highest price in three months on $3.5585 a pound.
EU Commissioner Viviane Reding will call on mobile phone operators in the EU to cut the cost of texting and internet use for customers who are abroad. Should they fail to comply operators could face EU regulation.
The euro edged up against the dollar on Monday after tough talk from monetary policy-makers dented expectations for lower euro-zone interest rates while the yen climbed broadly as investors cut back on risky trades.
Spanish telecoms group Telefonica SA expects to raise its stake in China Netcom Group Corp to 10 percent in coming months, Chairman Cesar Alierta told Reuters on Monday.
Copper rose on Friday as demand increased and supplies dropped the most since October 30.
China Investment Corporation, the Chinese sovereign wealth fund, is in talks with U.S. private equity group JC Flowers to put about $4 billion into a new fund to invest in ailing financial firms, the Financial Times said.
Japanese stocks slumped into negative territory after data showed machinery orders fell more than three times faster than expected in December.
Google Inc may partner with another Chinese company in an effort to capture the Chinese market after two years of operation in the region with stiff competition from Baidu.com Inc which leads the market and provides free, unlicensed music downloads.
Web search leader Google Inc is planning to boost its presence in China by tying up with a Chinese online music company to provide free music downloads, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Three global record companies have launched legal proceedings against China's top Internet search engine Baidu.com Inc, accusing it of violating copyright by giving access to music files, an international music trade body said.
Natural gas posted gains on Monday after the prices of alternative forms of energy increased.
Record gold prices have scared buyers in many parts of the world and left them to watch helplessly the blistering rally that shows no signs of abating.
Copper gained on Thursday as markets recovered and winter storms in China disturbed production.
Asian markets were mixed during a volatile session Thursday, with indexes in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney wavering between gains and losses as investors assessed the Federal Reserve's half-point reduction in a key interest rate overnight and the health of the U.S. economy.