JAPAN

World stocks steadied on Tuesday after hitting a two-month high in the previous session, while European stocks rose as investors awaited the start of U.S. corporate earnings season.

World stocks steadied on Tuesday after hitting a two-month high in the previous session, while European stocks rose as investors awaited the start of U.S. corporate earnings season.

Asian stocks slid on Tuesday, snapping a five-day rally as concerns about the health of U.S. banks resurfaced, while expectations that Australian rates would not fall much further kept the Australian dollar steady.

Oil was steady around $51 a barrel on Tuesday, awaiting direction from stock markets and U.S. oil inventories after a near 3-percent loss on Monday when Wall Street tumbled.

Asian stocks slipped on Tuesday, snuffing a five-day rally as uncertainty about U.S. banks pushed dealers to take profits on recent gains, while investors' reduced willingness to take risks lifted the U.S. dollar and yen.

Russia called on other leading powers on Monday to stay focused on nuclear talks with North Korea as Washington pushed for a strong response from a divided U.N. Security Council to Pyongyang's rocket launch.

Oil was steady at $51 a barrel on Tuesday, awaiting direction from stock markets and U.S. oil inventories after a near 3-percent loss on Monday when Wall Street tumbled.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has ordered more than 10 trillion yen ($99 billion) to stimulate the world's second-largest economy from its deepest recession since World War II.

North Korea launched a Taepodong-2 rocket over the Sea of Japan on Sunday. The launch rattled the North's neighbors and countries around the world. The U.S. and its rallies asked for quick punishment at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting held hours after launch.

Citigroup Inc named Michael Corbat permanent chief executive of Citi Holdings, a unit housing the Smith Barney brokerage and a variety of businesses and riskier assets that may be shed.

Five central banks in Europe, Japan and the United States said on Monday they have agreed to currency swap lines that enable the Federal Reserve to provide foreign currencies to U.S. financial institutions.

Oil prices fell toward $51 a barrel on Monday as stock markets sputtered, erasing early gains on expectations that rich nations' efforts to stimulate their economies may help end the global downturn sooner than expected.

The outage at Japan's biggest nuclear power station was likely to have pushed up manufacturers' CO2 emissions in the year ended last month, despite a slowdown in economic activity, a government official said on Friday.

Oil prices fell below $51 a barrel on Monday as stock markets sputtered, erasing early gains on expectations that rich nations' efforts to stimulate their economies may help end the global downturn sooner than expected.

World stocks rose for a fifth straight session on Monday as investors sought bargains against a background of increasing optimism about the global economy.

Oil prices rose toward $53 per barrel on Monday, buoyed by expectations that rich nations' efforts to stimulate their economies may help end the global downturn sooner than expected.

Oil prices rose above $53 per barrel on Monday, buoyed by expectations that rich nations' efforts to stimulate their economies may help end the global downturn sooner than expected.

Asian shares climbed to a six-month high on Monday, as hopes that the global economic downturn is nearing its bottom spur demand for riskier assets while hitting the yen and safe-haven government bonds.

Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 outsold Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii in March for the first time in 16 months in Japan thanks to hot new PS3 titles from Sega Sammy and Capcom , a game magazine publisher said.

Asian shares climbed to a six-month high on Monday, as hopes that the global economic downturn is nearing its bottom spur demand for riskier assets while hitting the yen and safe-haven government bonds.

North Korea fired a long-range rocket on Sunday, provoking international outrage, but a divided U.N. Security Council failed at an emergency meeting to agree on a reaction to Pyongyang's defiant move.