AUSTRALIA

Asia-Pacific officials agreed on Friday to a draft climate statement which reaffirms a U.N. treaty on fighting global warming, while urging non-binding aspirational targets for greenhouse gas reductions, a delegate said.

At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Bush said he would consider a peace treaty with North Korea if it gave up nuclear arms.

Asia-Pacific ministers agreed on Thursday to accelerate global free-trade talks, saying that negotiations were at a crucial and probably final phase.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Thursday that Beijing took product safety very seriously, as Asia Pacific ministers agreed to set up a food safety taskforce to ensure the health and safety of the region's population.

Leaders at an Asia-Pacific summit appeared deadlocked on Thursday over what their Sydney Declaration on climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions should say.

Campbell Soup Co on Thursday posted quarterly profit below analysts' estimates despite strong sales of its V8 vegetable juice, as the company overhauled its supply chain in Australia and Indonesia.

General Motors Corp said on Wednesday its vehicle sales in China would exceed 1 million this year but intense competition would keep the heat on prices in the world's fastest-growing car market.

U.S. President George W. Bush says nuclear power is a key to tackling climate change, along with new energy technologies, but green groups want Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Sydney to commit to greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Business leaders in the Asia-Pacific region said on Wednesday they will ask governments to put a price on carbon emissions as soon as possible to combat climate change.

After a lightning visit to Iraq where he hinted at possible U.S. troop cuts, President George W. Bush arrived in Australia on Tuesday for an Asia-Pacific leaders' meeting amid heavy security and anti-war protests.

Usually derided as teetering on the tip of irrelevance, this year's Asia-Pacific leaders' summit in Sydney hopes to rise above its reputation for glacial action and have a real impact on the course of climate change. Leaders gathered for the meeting hope to build on June's G8 summit, in which nations agreed to consider a 50 percent cut in emissions by 2050 and build momentum ahead of a U.N. climate change meeting later this month.

President George W. Bush hopes to spur momentum for a world trade pact and a global target on climate change at this week's APEC summit in Sydney, but host Australia has warned not to expect binding greenhouse targets. The Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit will draw 21 leaders including Bush.

Trade diplomats returned to the negotiating table on Monday for practical and business-like talks about the compromises needed to clinch a new global free trade accord this year.

The shorter Sept. visit to the Asia-Pacific economic summit is seen as neglecting Asia's concerns. An Iraq military report and 9/11 commemorations loom.

Basis Yield Alpha Fund, a hedge fund specializing in corporate and structured credit, on Wednesday filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States amid mounting losses from U.S. subprime mortgage assets, court papers show.

Walk into any large office, and you will most likely hear the telltale computer bleeps of chat programs and online games, accompanied by furious mouse-clicking. Employees may seem busy, but many are wasting time on the Internet, or cyberslacking.

NYSE Euronext and Australia's ASX Ltd may be interested in buying part of Nasdaq Stock Market Inc's 31 percent stake in London Stock Exchange Plc, a person familiar with the matter said.

Removing Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe would not automatically deliver democracy to the troubled African nation, said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Climate change and biofuels pose fresh challenges in the fight against poverty, which requires more than ever cooperation among scientists, the new head of an international body for agricultural research said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Wednesday for a broader Asia partnership of democracies that would include India, the United States and Australia but leave out the region's superpower, China.

Asian companies will have a tough time raising funds and face weaker export demand if the global credit squeeze persists and a deteriorating U.S. housing market crimps consumer spending.