AUSTRALIA

More people were evacuated in Australia’s Victoria state on Monday as deadly flood waters continued to swamp huge swathes of land in the country’s southeast, and the State Emergency Service said as many as 76 towns in the state have been affected by the flooding.

Rio Tinto's $3.9 billion bid for Africa-focused coal miner Riversdale gained steam on Monday after a representative of Riversdale's top shareholder Tata Steel backed the offer.

List of Microsoft Windows Phone 7 introduced in 2010 and coming out in 2011, a special look

Indian business conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra is set to launch its first indigenously built aircraft priced 20 percent lower than similar aircraft sold by the market leader, Cessna.

Two quick-fire goals from Ulugbek Bakaev helped Uzbekistan reach the Asian Cup semi-finals for the first time by beating Jordan 2-1 at the Khalifa Stadium on Friday.

National Hug Day, or National Hugging Day, is an annual holidayoccurring on January 21. It is officially recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This day is also known asWeltknuddeltag 2011.

Australians may be hit with a one-time “flood tax” to help pay for the damages wrought by the devastating floods in Queensland and Victoria.

BMO Capital Markets upgraded two U.S.-based staffing companies, On Assignment Inc (ASGN) and Hudson Highland Group (HHGP) to 'Outperform' from 'Market Perform.'

A new survey reveals kids aged 2-5 are more likely to know how to use a smartphone app than tie their shoelaces.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.03 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.03 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.06 percent at 4:40 a.m. EST.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.03 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.03 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.06 percent at 4:40 a.m. EST.

Asian stocks retreated from two-month peaks on Thursday due to disappointing earnings from Wall Street majors, while the euro gave in to some profit taking after extending its rally overnight to a eight-week high.

American Express Co reported quarterly earnings that narrowly missed Wall Street estimates and said it would cut 550 jobs as it handles more customer services on the Internet.

American Express Co said on Wednesday that severance costs and other charges related to shutting down customer service centers would reduce fourth-quarter earnings.

In contrast to all travel blues and woes, a leading travel search site site Skyscanner gives an insight to the sunshine spots in the world to boost optimism - the top five places you can travel to cheer you up.

Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc plans to spin off its $24 billion majority stake in Mosaic Co , a move that could eventually lead to a takeover of Mosaic, the world's second-largest fertilizer producer.

China's exports of vital rare earth elements used for numerous high-tech goods slipped almost one-tenth last year but the overall value rocketed as quota cuts lifted international prices, data showed on Wednesday.

Asia's rapid economic growth will moderate slightly in 2011 even as policymakers combat rising prices with higher interest rates and try to keep local currencies from appreciating too sharply, a Reuters quarterly poll showed.

Swiss drug maker Roche said its investigational drug for advanced skin cancer - RG7204 - showed significant survival benefit in a late stage study.

Australian gaming and wagering company Tatts Group Ltd is considering refinancing its A$700 million in bank debt with its existing lenders after tapping the U.S. private market in December, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday.

Australia's government is reportedly considering a taxpayer levy to help pay for massive flood rebuilding, while preserving the budget's path back to surplus in 2012-13, as one major bank warned on Tuesday the damage bill could reach A$20 billion.