UNITED STATES

The U.S. Senate could vote on a number of trade bills in next few months, including one aimed at prodding China into revaluing its currency, a senior Democratic senator said on Tuesday.

U.S. investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc continued to shed its stake in top Chinese oil producer PetroChina Inc, selling about 92.66 million shares in late August for US$136 million, according to a regulatory filing in Hong Kong.

Corporate default rates could accelerate from next year as the recent turmoil in credit markets has erased the appetite for risky investments, ratings agency Standard & Poor's said in a report.

Gold stayed near a 16-month high on Wednesday as Tokyo futures hit their highest in nearly seven weeks on a falling yen, after media reports that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would resign sparked fears of political uncertainty.

Stock index futures pointed to a weaker market open on Wednesday, with Texas Instruments in focus after the chipmaker left its outlook steady.

The dollar fell to a record low against the euro on Wednesday as an expected interest rate cut next week from the Federal Reserve continued to erode the U.S. currency's appeal.

Japanese stocks ended in negative territory on Wednesday after the shock resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the Nikkei average down 0.5 percent as thin trade and political uncertainty took their toll.

Sony Corp said it will launch four models of new Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorders in November in Japan, as its format battle with the HD DVD camp heats up.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe abruptly announced his resignation on Wednesday after a year in power dogged by scandals, an election rout and a crisis over Japan's support for U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan.

Some 57 percent of mortgage broker customers were unable to refinance their adjustable-rate loans to avoid higher monthly payments in August, suggesting the U.S. housing slump may worsen, according to a national survey on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia persuaded OPEC to raise oil output by 500,000 barrels per day on Tuesday in a gesture to consumer nations worried by the economic impact of $77 oil and rapidly diminishing fuel stocks.

Americans stood in silence to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11 attacks on Tuesday as Osama bin Laden resurfaced to praise the suicide hijackers who carried them out six years ago to the day.

Twenty of the world's top polluting nations have agreed to discuss binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Germany's environment minister said on Tuesday.

Reducing emissions and raising fuel efficiency are the magic words at the Frankfurt International Motor show (IAA) as manufacturers and suppliers go all out to out-do each other -- or at least out-talk each other.

A series of attacks on Mexico's fuel pipelines this summer has raised fears the key energy supplier could slide into a Nigeria-style struggle to keep its oil and gas flowing, experts said on Tuesday.

U.S. and Chinese officials agreed on Tuesday to take immediate steps to stop the use of lead paint in toys made in China following toy recalls that have scared American parents ahead of holiday shopping.

Oil closed at a record high over $78 on Tuesday after an OPEC deal to ramp up production failed to calm concerns about thinning world inventories.

The dollar neared a record low against the euro on Tuesday as expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut continued to erode the greenback's appeal to global investors.

The slump in U.S. housing stocks to new four-year lows is hurting some well-known investors who recently added home builders and housing-related stocks such as KB Home and Pulte Homes Inc to their positions.

The chief of Advanced Micro Devices Inc said on Monday a new chip with four processing brains would help the underdog company win back market share from rival Intel Corp and does not see any sign consumers are holding back on new computers -- yet.

Chinese machinery maker Sany Heavy Industry Co will sign a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. state of Georgia on Wednesday to build a $60 million plant, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.