CHINA

German new car registrations in August were 27 percent lower than a year ago when buyers enjoyed the last of the government's car scrappage incentives, according to official data published on Thursday.

China is stepping up attempts to hamper BHP Billiton's <BHP.AX> <BLT.L> $39 billion (25 billion pounds) hostile offer for Potash Corp <POT.TO>, amid worries about future supplies of fertiliser it needs to rapidly boost food production.

Ferrari said it is recalling more than 1,240 of its 458 Italia supercars to replace an adhesive prone to melting after five reports of fire accidents.

Oil fell further below $74 a barrel on Thursday, weighed by record high inventories in top consumer the United States and investor caution ahead of U.S. employment reports.

Oil steadied near $74 a barrel on Thursday, weighed by record high inventories in top consumer the United States and investor caution ahead of U.S. employment reports.

Baidu Inc, operator of China's dominant search engine, said on Thursday that it will focus its future mobile Internet investments on its core search business as it takes aim at the next big Internet space.

A booming market of tweens is changing the landscape of online games.

Stock index futures pointed to a mostly lower open for U.S. shares on Thursday, giving back a little of the strong gains from the previous session, when they were boosted by strong manufacturing data from China and the United States.

Oil dipped on Thursday as investors turned their attention to upcoming U.S. employment reports, following gains of almost 3 percent a day earlier after positive manufacturing data lifted spirits across markets.

China's Sinochem has hired HSBC bank to advise it on its options regarding Potash Corp , the target of a $38.6 billion (25 billion pound) hostile bid from BHP Billiton, the Wall Street Journal reported on its blog on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the situation.

Gold prices were slightly firmer on Thursday, and could stay on the rise as global economic prospects remain shaky with investors watching for more jobs data out of the United States.

The dollar was on the defensive on Thursday, retaining most of the losses sustained the previous day when upbeat data helped lure investors away from safe-haven currencies and assets. Figures released on Wednesday showed the U.S. manufacturing sector grew faster than expected and China's factory output regained momentum in August, while Australia's economy expanded at its fastest pace in three years in the second quarter.

Asian stocks rose to a two-week high, with Japan's Nikkei briefly rising more than 2 percent, as strong U.S. manufacturing data further soothed worries about the global economy.

Heading into the Labor Day holiday weekend, U.S. retail gasoline prices have fallen for three weeks in a row, currently averaging $2.68 per gallon, the lowest level of the 2010 peak summer driving season, and the second lowest price at this point in the past five summers (Figure 1). This year, prices peaked on May 10 at $2.91 per gallon. Compared to price variation experienced over recent summers, gasoline prices have moved in a narrow range during this summer's driving season (Figure 2).

Asian stocks rose to a two-week high, with Japan's Nikkei briefly rising more than 2 percent, as strong U.S. manufacturing data further soothed worries about the global economy.

As a growing oil consumer and importer, China is taking strategic steps to secure its oil imports from the Middle East by strengthening its influence in the South Asia/Indian Ocean region.

M&A talk among the travel, telecoms and mining sectors helped Britain's top shares to their biggest daily gain in almost two months on Wednesday, as strong manufacturing data from the U.S. and China boosted sentiment.

Surging domestic demand helped manufacturing growth in China and Russia pick up speed in August, while U.S. manufacturing grew faster than expected, but data showed the recovery slowing in European factories.

Wall Street rose more than 2 percent on Wednesday and was set to record its best day in eight weeks as U.S. and Asian economic data soothed worries about a global economic slowdown.

Michael Wei and Lucy HornbyChina may launch an antimonopoly probe into BHP Billiton's $39 billion bid for Canada's Potash Corp, the China Business News said on Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Media stocks gained more than the market in early trading on Wednesday ahead of details of a new online TV product announcement expected from Apple Inc later in the day.