INDIA

The United Nations has slashed its estimates of how many people are infected with the AIDS virus, from nearly 40 million to 33 million.

Steel king Lakshmi Mittal beats Ambani brothers to retain Steel tycoon Lakshmi N. Mittal, owner of the world’s largest steel group, ArcelorMittal, has topped the Indian rich list for the fourth year in a row, beating the Reliance brothers - Mukesh and Anil Ambani - with a fortune worth $51 billion, popular business and lifestyle magazine Forbes said.

Mergers and acquisitions by Indian firms in Europe and the United States are expected to double in three years, a survey said on Friday.

The malls are full, the cars are fast, the fashions are sharp -- conspicuous consumption is king as Saudis enjoy the benefits of oil at almost $100 a barrel.

A new World Trade Organization (WTO) accord could improve access to clean-energy tools in poorer countries, but any deal making it easier to ship cargo internationally would also carry a heavy carbon footprint.

Southeast Asian nations plan to sign a charter in Singapore next week aiming for lofty goals in areas such as free trade and human rights even as the 40-year-old group wrestles with how to handle the divisive issue of Myanmar. The West has urged the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) to put more pressure on Myanmar's junta after its crackdown on pro-democracy protests, but the group's principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs is likely to prevail.

An unprecedented vaccination campaign has produced strong results in fighting polio in India and if sustained, the crippling disease could be eradicated in the next two years, a top WHO expert said.

Tata Motors Ltd, India's biggest vehicle maker, expects sales and operating margins to improve in the second half of the fiscal year, but is wary of a weaker dollar and growing competition, a top official said.

The parent of Alibaba.com Inc and Japan's Softbank Corp are in talks to set up a Japanese joint venture possibly next year that will boost the Chinese e-commerce company's footprint in that market, Softbank's top executive said on Tuesday.

NTT DoCoMo Inc, Japan's biggest mobile phone operator, expects to bid at least US$1 billion for a stake in Vietnam's No.2 mobile phone carrier and is eyeing investments in other Asian countries, an executive said.

India is trying to simplify procedures for foreign investors to invest in Indian hospitals and hotels, the tourism minister said on Tuesday, forecasting $6.5 billion flowing into the sector in the coming years.

Indian communists have not changed their position on a controversial nuclear deal with the United States and do not want the government to pursue key steps needed to clinch it, left leaders said on Tuesday.

Tom Cruise's Lambs got slaughtered at the worldwide box office.

British-based mobile phone giant Vodafone Group Plc raised full-year profit and sales forecasts on Tuesday after a strong set of half-year results topped consensus expectations, sending its shares climbing.

Yahoo Inc has struck new deals to offer mobile phone Web services through nine network operators across Asia, bolstering its increasing lead in the fastest growing regional market for mobile services by users.

The government said on Monday it had decided to auction to commercial operators a prime range of radio wave spectrum for mobile Internet services.

Diageo is in talks to buy 10-13 percent of India's United Spirits for $500-$600 million (240-288 million pounds), the Economic Times reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

France's Carrefour, the world's second-biggest retailer, plans to set up a wholesale business in India on it own after failing to get local partners, the Economic Times said on Monday, quoting unidentified sources.

Metals prices slipped on Monday on fears of waning demand, but mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, engaged in a takeover battle, were among the big gainers on the London stock market.

The box office power of Bollywood showed itself this weekend as Saawariya emerged the surprise No. 1 hit internationally, outgrossing Tom Cruise's Lions for Lambs by more than $5 million.

India's largest drug maker by sales, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, has resolved a U.S. patent dispute over tamsulosin capsules, the company said, sending its shares up as much as 3 percent.