MARKETS / FINANCE

Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc's union in Indonesia will consider almost halving its pay demand if the firm agrees an extra pay hike when workers are promoted, the union said on Tuesday, taking the near two-month strike a step towards resolution.

President Obama and French President Sarkozy spoke ill of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in private. Unknown to the leaders, their comments were heard by a team of journalists. Whoops.

Junior South African miner Village Main Reef has expressed interest in buying DRDGold's interest in its troubled Blyvoor mine for 150 million rand ($18.8 million), the two companies said on Tuesday.

Societe Generale , France's second-biggest listed bank, said it would slash bonuses and scrap its 2011 dividend after a tough quarter as it scrambles to meet strict new capital requirements.

Stock index futures advanced on Tuesday as Italian lawmakers readied for a crucial vote on public finances that marks the latest turn in the euro zone debt crisis.

Gold prices Tuesday bumped around the previous day's closing price on profit-taking but safe-haven buying and favorable currency moves appeared set to lift the metal above $1,800 per ounce.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday as lawmakers in Rome readied for a crucial vote on public finances that marks the latest chapter in the euro zone debt crisis.

Up to a third of Hong Kong's 50,000 or so factories in China could downsize or shut by the end of the year as exporters get hit by cost rises and darkening global demand for Chinese goods, a major Hong Kong industrial body said on Tuesday.

Societe Generale , France's second-biggest listed bank, said it would slash bonuses and scrap its 2011 dividend as it scrambles to meet tough new capital requirements.

Italian bond yields ticked higher on Tuesday, closing in on unsustainable levels as lawmakers in Rome readied for a crucial vote on public finances that marks the latest chapter in the euro zone debt crisis.

Societe Generale , France's second-biggest listed bankon, scrapped its 2011 dividend on Tuesday to help bolster capital when reporting quarterly profit fell sharply, hit by charges including Greek debt writedowns.

The executive chairman of Google Inc on Tuesday played down concerns the search giant would give preferential treatment to Motorola Mobility Holdings after its planned purchase of the handset maker is completed.

France's second-biggest listed bank Societe Generale on Tuesday reported a 30.6 percent slump in third-quarter profits hurt by charges including Greek debt writedowns, and scrapped its 2011 dividend to preserve capital.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has joined a growing panoply of Western luminaries and celebrities such as Bill Gates and actress Emma Watson on China's most popular microblogging platform, Weibo -- and received a warm response.

Credit Suisse AG, Switzerland's second-largest bank, has begun notifying certain U.S. clients suspected of offshore tax evasion that it intends to turn over their names to the Internal Revenue Service, with the help of Swiss tax authorities.

China's annual investment on railway construction could fall to about 500 billion yuan ($78.7 billion) a year, retreating from ambitious heights mapped out in a plan for the sector that has struggled with high debts, an official Chinese newspaper said on Tuesday.

Morgan Stanley said a group of investors had accused it of selling defective mortgage bonds contained in more than $6 billion of trusts, signaling that it may face litigation over its involvement.

Italian government bond yields soared to near 15-year highs, putting the euro zone's third largest economy front and center of the region's debt crisis, despite scrambling efforts by policymakers to stem the growing contagion.

Google Inc's YouTube and Walt Disney Co's interactive arm have formed a partnership to bring videos geared toward families to the Web.

Verizon Wireless is aiming to sell more of its fastest wireless phones with a holiday promotion that allows twice as many data downloads for the same price, potentially putting pressure on AT&T Inc to follow suit.

Euro zone finance ministers and officials met on Monday to discuss the crisis in the euro zone, including speeding up work on their EFSF bailout fund and the situation in Greece and Italy.

The top U.S. futures regulator said he was not participating in the investigation of MF Global Holdings Ltd, the brokerage that filed for bankruptcy last week, so he would not become a distraction.

Stocks closed a volatile, lightly traded session slightly higher on Monday, with sentiment continuing to shift with the latest headline from Europe.

European Central Bank policymaker Juergen Stark sees the euro zone crisis over in the next year or so as politicians have started to realize the need for painful action.

Stocks closed a volatile, lightly traded session slightly higher on Monday, with sentiment continuing to shift with the latest headline from Europe.

Google Inc's new social networking service has opened its doors to businesses to create special web pages, a move that could entice visitors to spend more time on the website and help Google match the offerings of rival Facebook.

The Siris Capital-led private equity takeover of network technology provider Tekelec could attract other suitors, as the $780 million deal potentially undervalues the company's new router product line.

Ron Paul is the darling of libertarians and non-mainstream Republicans. Could he find success running as a third-party candidate?

Gold prices jumped two percent to hit their highest point in six weeks and regain, at least for now, its traditional role as a safe-haven investment.