CHINA

Mining group Xstrata Plc, due to post sharply lower first-half profits next week, is expected to hold back from using the occasion to launch a new initiative in its wooing of Anglo American.

Bank of America Corp plans to set up a wholly owned subsidiary in China to expand in the world's fastest-growing major economy, people briefed on the plan said.

China's central bank reiterated on Wednesday it would continue its moderately loose monetary policy, which is the third confirmation that its monetary policy will remain unchanged in six days.

China seized its first-ever men's gold for swimming in World Championships on Wednesday, with Zhang Lin improving Grant Hackett's four-year-old 800 meters freestyle world record by more than six seconds.

The Taipei district court plans to deliver a verdict on former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's corruption case on Sept. 11 this year, a spokesman for the Court announced on Wednesday, after the last hearing.

Rainstorms have left at least 66 people dead, 66 missing and more than 30,000 relocated from their homes since the beginning of June in five of China southern provinces, official Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

U.S. mortgage applications fell for the first time in four weeks, driven by a drop in demand for home refinancing loans as interest rates climbed, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.

Senator John Kerry, a leading architect of climate change legislation being drawn up in the U.S. Senate, on Wednesday said the bill will have tough controls to stop abusive financial market speculation on pollution permits that will be traded among companies.

Trust in business has rebounded from 10-year lows in the United States, but the majority of Americans still do not count on corporate America to do what is right, according to a survey released on Thursday.

China's central bank pledged to maintain loose monetary policy to support the economy and said it would ensure sustainable credit growth without resorting to heavy-handed quotas to rein in a lending spree.

TSMC , the world's largest contract chipmaker, underlined the strong recovery in the once-struggling sector as it clocked its biggest profit in three quarters and raised its capital spending target.

World stocks and commodity prices rose on Thursday after China's central bank reaffirmed loose monetary policy and European corporate earnings cheered investors, while the dollar and government bond prices fell.

China's central bank pledged to maintain loose monetary policy and use market tools, not quota-style controls, to ensure sustainable credit growth that will support economic recovery.

Chinese stocks see-sawed in skittish trade on Thursday, as the central bank reaffirmed loose monetary policy, while other Asian markets regained enough poise after the previous day's shakeout to edge back to 2009 highs.

Asian share markets were largely steady on Thursday, struggling to regain multi-month highs, while Shanghai shares see-sawed after a 5 percent sell-off the previous day that sent other markets reeling.

Oil eased toward $63 a barrel on Thursday, after sliding almost 6 percent the day before on data showing a jump in U.S. crude stocks, while the market kept an eye on measures by China to manage credit growth.

One week after the apparent suicide of a Chinese factory worker accused of stealing a carefully guarded Apple iPhone prototype, one question remains unanswered: what happened to the missing phone?

Oil eased toward $63 a barrel on Thursday, after sliding almost 6 percent the day before on data showing a jump in U.S. crude stocks, while the market kept an eye on measures by China to manage credit growth.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday pressed China's responsibility to lead the global fight against climate change, which, Ban said, was the major focus of his trip in Asia.

A netizen, who was said to be a key member of the World Uygur Congress (WUC), was blamed by Chinese authorities for fanning ethnic confrontation that caused the deadly July 5 riot in Urumqi by spreading a fake video online, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

China State Construction Engineering Group (CSCEC), the world's largest stock offering in 16 months, had 28 billion yuan capital trapped in stock at their debut in Shanghai as its price fell to 6.53 yuan compared to the opening price of 6.70 yuan.