Oil rose to a seven-week high above $82 a barrel on Friday after a report showed the United States lost fewer jobs than expected in February and on signals China will maintain its economic stimulus measures.
Britain's Prudential Plc may quit some countries in Asia should it seal a $35.5 billion buy of American International Group's AIA, sources directly involved with the deal said on Friday, allowing the bulked-up insurer to focus on key markets.
China said on Friday it wants to sign a broad economic agreement with Taiwan, which would slash import tariffs and open the banking sector, as part of a drive to promote peaceful ties with the self-ruled island.
Britain's Prudential Plc may quit some countries in Asia should it seal a $35.5 billion buy of American International Group's AIA.
Swiss-based commodity trader Glencore bought back its prized Prodeco coal operations in Colombia from mining group Xstrata and it was still talking to possible partners.
Giant private equity fund Blackstone Group hopes to close its first Australian deal this year and is looking at a deal in Japan and South Korea.
Stock index futures rose on Friday as investors appeared ready to welcome any sign of fewer job losses in impending payroll data as improvement in the economy and dismiss any weakness as temporary.
Crude climbed toward $81 a barrel on Friday, approaching a seven-week high, after signals China will maintain its economic stimulus measures boosted hopes strong growth will help drain excess oil supplies.
Stock index futures rose on Friday as investors awaited a key report on the employment picture for clues on the health of the economy.
China will seek to heal social rifts and spur home-driven growth with more public welfare and rural spending even as the government tightens its belt after a burst of feverish spending, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday.
Microsoft said it will stick to its development strategy for the China Internet search market regardless of the outcome of Google's high-profile spat with Beijing.
Militant groups, foreign states and criminal organizations pose a growing threat to U.S. security as they target government and private computer networks, FBI Director Robert Mueller said on Thursday.
Crude edged up on Friday, capping two consecutive weeks of trading above $80, after China signaled it would maintain its economic stimulus, rekindling hopes for accelerating growth to drain excess oil supplies.
China is in consultations with technology giant Google to resolve its dispute with the company, which has threatened to abandon the Chinese market over hacking and censorship concerns, said a Chinese official on Friday.
Microsoft is still seeing a lot of interest in its Windows 7 computer software launched last year and a new budget cycle will help a gradual recovery in business spending, its chief operating officer said.
Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il plans to visit China in mid-March, Kyodo news agency said on Thursday, as Washington sees signs that Pyongyang may end a year-long boycott of international nuclear disarmament talks.
Japanese group Olympus Corp is aiming for its small, lightweight models to have 20 percent of the high-end digital camera market in three years, up from 5 percent now, its president said.
The hackers behind the attacks on Google Inc and dozens of other companies operating in China stole valuable computer source code by breaking into the personal computers of employees with privileged access, a security firm said on Wednesday.
Asian shares failed to hold on to their early gains, slipping into negative territory as worries about Greece and the outlook for the global economy made investors cautious.
The United States, France and other Western powers are preparing a plan for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program and hope to persuade Russia and China to back it.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to win Brazil's support on Wednesday for more sanctions against Iran and said Tehran would not talk seriously about its nuclear program until the United Nations took new action.
The number of spam messages being sent globally is reaching new heights, with nearly 90 percent of all emails sent last month being illegitimate.
