CHINA

Baidu Inc's fourth quarter earnings could provide the catalyst for the Chinese search engine's shares to break out of their near five-month range.

AMB Property Corp has struck a deal to acquire rival ProLogis in one of the biggest real-estate deals since the financial crisis, creating the largest U.S. owner of warehouse and distribution centers.

An elected parliament convened in Myanmar on Monday for the first time in half a century but inspired scant enthusiasm among a sceptical public convinced it is just a smokescreen for continued military rule.

South Korea on Monday rejected a push by the North to bring forward military talks by 10 days, saying it was not enough time to prepare for their first dialogue since the North's deadly attack against a border island last year.

CNOOC Ltd will pay $1.3 billion in its second shale deal with America's Chesapeake Energy Corp , the latest move by China's top offshore oil producer in its aggressive drive for overseas acquisitions.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Monday as the potential for spreading geopolitical tremors in the Middle East caused investors to exercise caution.

Hedge fund manager Bruce Berkowitz, the second largest stakeholder in American International Group, is bullish on both AIG and its spinoff AIA.

China's central bank, more hawkish on inflation than other parts of the government, has gained more policy-making power in recent months by outmaneuvering pro-growth factions in wrangling over the economic outlook and bank loans.

China will permit designated banks to trade yuan/foreign currency swaps on behalf of their clients from March 1, the country's foreign exchange regulator said.

China Construction Bank (CCB) (601939.SS) (0939.HK) has won approval to buy a combined 51 percent stake in Pacific Antai Life Insurance, the official Financial News reported on Monday.

Governments, airlines and tour operators worked together on Monday to fly their nationals out of Egypt where protesters pressed their campaign to topple President Hosni Mubarak.

Prime office rents in key Chinese and Brazilian cities will continue their economic growth-fuelled rise in 2011, a survey said, prompting global property investors to chase deals in those emerging markets.

Japanese imports of rare earths from China rose six-fold in December from November, reflecting a resumption of trade after Beijing's de-facto ban on shipments halted flows of the minerals for two months since late September.

Robert W. Baird said it have complied a brief recap of the initial fourth quarter big-cap wireless winners and losers. In the Smartphones division, the winners are Apple and HTC on strong results and guidance, while the losers are Nokia and Motorola Mobility.

Gold eased on Monday after posting its largest daily gain in eight weeks on Friday and while the market did encounter some safe-haven buying on the back of the unrest in Egypt, this was expected to be temporary.

China's trade surplus with its trading partners widened as much as 13 percent to $102.2 billion in the fourth quarter, according to the preliminary data released on Monday by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

Honda Motor Co is on track for its strongest earnings in three years after raising its outlook above market expectations thanks to a recovery in the United States, where improving profitability is countering a strong yen and sliding Japanese sales.

Honda Motor Co raised its annual profit outlook above market expectations as a recovery in the key U.S. market helps counter the strong yen and sliding Japanese sales, which weighed on third-quarter earnings.

Honda Motor Co <7267.T> raised its cautious annual outlook beyond market expectations as a recovery in the key U.S. market helps counter the strong yen and sliding Japanese sales, which dragged its third-quarter profits down 29 percent.

Honda Motor Co lifted its cautious outlook even as a strong yen and sliding Japanese sales hit quarterly profits, confirming investors' optimism about the automaker's robust earnings potential.

Being the first of the social media websites to be blocked in Egypt amid anti-government protests, Twitter has churned out a blog on the importance of freedom of expression.