CHINA

Want a slice of the billions of dollars China spends each year on farm subsidies? Become a middleman and open a toll road.

Federal authorities successfully kept a U.S. businessman in jail on Wednesday ahead of his trial on charges relating to trade secret theft, and argued that it was Chinese government representatives who directed him to obtain valuable technology manufactured by chemical giant DuPont.

Canadian Solar Inc is scrambling to ramp up production of solar panels to meet an unexpected surge in demand from Europe, Chief Executive Shawn Qu said on Tuesday.

Federal authorities successfully kept a U.S. businessman in jail Wednesday ahead of his trial for trade secret theft, and argued that it was Chinese government representatives who directed him to obtain valuable technology manufactured by chemical giant DuPont.

Qualcomm Inc's quarterly profit easily beat Wall Street forecasts and the wireless chip leader raised its full-year financial targets due to growing demand for smartphones such as Apple Inc's popular iPhone.

Factory activity rose in China, the United States and Germany in January, and the three manufacturing superpowers drove gains in global output even as Europe struggles with fallout from its festering debt crisis.

Stocks extended January's rally on Wednesday after upbeat global manufacturing data boosted sentiment and as Greece neared a long-delayed deal with private creditors.

Gold rose on Wednesday as the dollar slipped against the euro and on strong global manufacturing data, while analysts said profit taking could pressure the precious metal after its biggest January gain in 32 years.

Stocks extended January's rally, climbing more than 1 percent on Wednesday after upbeat global manufacturing data and as Greece neared a long-delayed deal with private creditors.

Stocks extended January's rally, climbing more than 1 percent, on Wednesday after upbeat global manufacturing data and as Greece neared a long-delayed deal on its debt.

On Wednesday, 25 Chinese workers were released from 15 hours of captivity in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. They were kidnapped just yesterday by Bedouin tribesmen, who were demanding the freedom of five relatives. The Chinese workers were returned to their hotel unharmed.

A potentially deadlier form of the bird flu virus poses one of the gravest known threats to humans and justifies an unprecedented call to censor the research that produced it, a top U.S. biosecurity official said on Tuesday.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday as upbeat economic data out of China and Germany eased concerns about the global economy and Greece neared a long-delayed deal on a debt swap.

Crumbling global demand restrained factory output in Asia and most of Europe in January, business surveys showed on Wednesday, putting pressure on policymakers to shore up growth and counter a spreading malaise.

They also demanded that the Hong Kong government do something to reduce the numbers of Mainland Chinese who arrive daily,

The Chinese yuan has been a laggard in Asia in the year so far while other regional currencies, including the Japanese yen, are posting strong gains against the U.S. dollar (USD) and the euro (EUR).

Stock index futures suggested a higher open on Wednesday after better-than-expected data out of China and Germany and as Greece inched closer to a debt deal, though recent market action suggested gains could be ephemeral.

Even as the protests against Apple's workers mistreatment practice are surging incessantly, there are still thousands of Chinese job seekers who are lining up in front of the gates of Foxconn, the company's major product manufacturer in China, hoping that they will be hired to work on iPhone 5 production.

Stock index futures jumped on Wednesday after better-than-expected data out of China and Germany and as Greece inched closer to a debt deal, but recent market action suggested gains could be ephemeral.

The BSE Sensex rebounded in late trade on Wednesday to post its highest close in 12 weeks, as metal producers and auto makers jumped, although investors were doubtful the rally could be sustained after a rise of nearly 12 percent so far this year.

Chinese government representatives directed a U.S. businessman to obtain valuable technology manufactured by chemical giant DuPont and U.S. authorities were seeking on Wednesday to keep him in jail ahead of his trial on charges relating to trade secret theft, prosecutors said in newly released court documents.