CHINA

China shares in Shanghai and Hong Kong fell on Monday as investors hammered companies reporting weak or forecast-meeting results, while a late jump in HSBC helped the Hang Seng index offset some of those losses and end higher.

Vice President Joe Biden said on Monday China's leaders did not seek reassurances about the weak U.S. economy, and he called Xi Jinping -- the man expected to take over as China's next president -- pragmatic and strong.

China's crude imports from Russia in July plunged 45 percent from a year earlier to 615,193 tonnes, or 144,870 barrels per day (bpd), the lowest level in several years, customs data showed on Monday.

A unit of ConocoPhillips said it has found several small oil leaks in China's northern Bohai Bay two months after an oil spill began, while the Chinese government again urged the company to halt the leak by the end of this month.

China has agreed to lend $195 million to Cambodia so it can buy Chinese military helicopters, the latest deal in a flurry of trade and investment between the two countries.

China's top online portal Sina Corp has invested between $30-$40 million in Chinese online video site Tudou Holdings , a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

Vinegar stored in plastic barrels that once contained antifreeze is suspected of killing 11 people and making 120 others sick in China's northwest Xinjiang region, state media said on Monday, in the latest deadly food safety scandal to hit the country.

Shares of Macau casino operators slumped on Monday on worries of weakening demand from wealthy Chinese consumers, the main players in the world's largest gambling market, leading investors to sell stocks that have hit record highs in the past few months.

Muammar Gaddafi was a hunted man on Monday as loyal remnants of his forces made last-ditch stands in the capital while world leaders rushed to embrace the fractious rebel movement as new masters of Libya's oil riches.

iPad 3 could hit store shelves as soon as early 2012.

Italian oil company Eni led the charge back into Libya on Monday as rebels hailing the end of Muammar Gaddafi's rule warned Russian and Chinese firms that they may lose out on lucrative oil contracts for failing to support the rebellion.

Ghana's parliament will begin debating on Monday a $3 billion loan facility awarded by China Development Bank to the west African nation to finance infrastructure projects including in the oil and gas sector, a government statement said.

HP rebounded a bit on Wall Street Monday as company executives including CEO Leo Apotheker went on a global mission to explain to major investors why the company is drastically changing its mission. Apotheker flew to London to begin selling his new vision of the company and other company leaders, including CFO Cathie Lesjak and Chairman Ray Lane made dozens of calls to answers questions about HP's new and controversial strategy.

Could HP sell webOS to another maker? Or license it to a rival?

More details have leaked on the iPhone 5, including a few reported components of the phone.

Italian oil company Eni led the charge back into Libya on Monday as rebels swept into capital Tripoli, hailing the end of Muammar Gaddafi's rule and warning Russian and Chinese firms of contract revisions.

A 30-foot granite statue of Martin Luther King opened for a public preview at the National Mall in Washington ahead of Sunday's official dedication ceremony.

Investors were cautious on Monday on the prospect of rivals challenging Peabody Energy's (BTU.N) bid for Macarthur Coal (MCC.AX), though sources familiar with the matter said potential suitor Anglo American (AAL.L) was studying the books.

Canadian miner Silvercorp Metals Inc said its majority unit agreed to buy a 90 percent stake in two Chinese mining companies for $4.3 million in cash.

Libyan government tanks and snipers put up scattered, last-ditch resistance in Tripoli on Monday after rebels swept into the heart of the capital, cheered on by crowds hailing the end of Muammar Gaddafi's 42 years in power.

Investors tucked into beaten down oil stocks, helping lift Europe's leading shares on Monday after a sharp retreat the previous week, while gold issues drew interest amid lingering worries about global growth.