CHINA

The dollar slid on Tuesday, pushing gold prices to near record highs, while Asian stocks eased as investors awaited policy announcements from some key central banks this week for clues on the timing of eventual shifts in policy.

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China's reluctance to let markets play a freer hand in setting the value of the yuan, also called the renminbi, is a festering irritant that both the United States and China want to keep from getting out of hand.

U.S. manufacturing activity hit its highest level in 3-1/2 years last month and pending home sales contracts unexpectedly surged in September, allaying fears the economy's budding recovery would falter.

Oil prices rose more than $1 to top $78 a barrel on Monday as strong manufacturing data from the United States and China stoked optimism for a turnaround in the economy and in fuel demand.

Piracy, long a problem for foreign media companies in China, also stands to stifle innovation by the country's own dynamic Internet industry, the chief executive of one of China's oldest Web companies said on Monday.

China's No.2 Internet games operator NetEase.com Inc said it has been notified by a Chinese government agency that its operation of the World of Warcraft game does not have proper approval.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday as stronger-than-expected data on manufacturing and pending home sales spurred broad-based gains following a sell-off at the end of last week.

A trip by Japan's foreign minister to Washington to try to soothe strained ties was up in the air on Monday as doubts simmered over whether a feud about a military base will be resolved before a visit by President Barack Obama.

As automakers, parts suppliers and car retailers ready business plans for next year and beyond, the experience of the industry's 2009 crash has made caution the new byword.

Leaders of the 21 APEC economies are concerned that high level political commitment to conclude the Doha Round of world trade talks has yet to translate into substantive progress and called for a deal next year, a draft statement from the grouping seen by Reuters on Monday said.

North Korea called on Monday for direct talks with its long-time foe, the United States, and gave the clearest signal so far it was ready to return to nuclear disarmament talks it has boycotted for almost a year.

China lashed out at the United States on Monday after the Obama administration sent six Uighur Chinese detainees from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay to the Pacific island nation of Palau.

China's vast Three Gorges reservoir will see a increasing number of landslides and other geological hazards as the water reaches its maximum level this autumn, a magazine report warned on Monday.

Shanda Games Ltd, China's top videogame company, said its revenue growth over the next five years would average 18.4 percent annually and continue to outpace the industry.

Singapore's state investor Temasek, Blackstone Group and KKR are among the firms expected to submit bids soon for AXA's stake in China's No.4 life insurer Taikang, sources said, an investment AXA values at $1.05 billion.

HSBC Holdings is preparing to boost its China presence about 20 percent next year, as it ramps up for an IPO in one of its fastest growing markets, a top company executive said.

Oil rose above $77 a barrel on Monday, recovering from the previous session's steep drop, after manufacturing data from China revived expectations economic recovery would generate extra fuel demand.

Michael Jackson's much-hyped concert movie reigned at the worldwide box office on Sunday, but its performance in North America was hardly a thriller.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Monday ahead of data expected to show the U.S. manufacturing sector grew in October alongside improved global manufacturing.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Monday ahead of data expected to show the U.S. manufacturing sector grew in October alongside improved global manufacturing.