CHINA

Oil fell toward $45 a barrel on Wednesday as further evidence of a large drop in global crude demand emerged.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday accused the United States of preparing for a war against the communist state in Pyongyang's first verbal criticism of the Obama Administration.

Senior Chinese navy officers poured scorn on the United States in the wake of a weekend naval confrontation, with one saying the Americans are villains crying foul as fallout between the two giants simmered.

A day after he slammed China for causing untold suffering in Tibet, the Dalai Lama Wednesday said he still believed the future was bright and hoped the Chinese leadership would use more common sense.

Oil fell by more than a dollar toward $44 a barrel on Wednesday as further evidence of a large drop in global crude demand emerged.

Banking worries shot back into equity markets on Wednesday after leading European bank UBS said it saw its earnings at risk for some time, weighing on investors a day after many had their best day since December.

A drop in Chinese exports and falling prices in Japan and Germany underscored the weakness of the world economy, while the IMF said governments are moving too slowly to rid banks of their toxic assets.

Asia stocks rose on Wednesday after hopes Citigroup will deliver a first-quarter profit sparked an improvement in investor confidence, though grim Chinese export data sent dealers buying the U.S. dollar for safety.

China's exports tumbled in February and Japan's wholesale prices fell by the most in six years, stark illustrations of a bleak world economy even as Citigroup boosted investor confidence in the banking sector.

Asia stocks rose on Wednesday after hopes Citigroup will deliver a first-quarter profit sparked an improvement in investor confidence, though grim Chinese export data sent dealers buying the U.S. dollar for safety.

The United States accused China on Tuesday of adopting a more aggressive military stance as a naval confrontation sparked anger in Beijing and raised tensions ahead of a U.S. visit by China's foreign minister.

China said on Tuesday that a U.S. Navy ship involved in a confrontation with its fleet off the southern island of Hainan had violated international and Chinese laws.

The Dalai Lama said on Tuesday more and more Chinese were beginning to see a problem with Beijing's rule over Tibet, lamenting how the homeland he fled 50 years ago had become a hell on earth.

Asian shares outside Japan posted their best gains in a month on Tuesday while safe-haven flight to the dollar eased, but the moves were seen as only a momentary reprieve from a gloomy economic outlook.

Oil edged down below $47 a barrel on Tuesday, as dealers mulled OPEC output options at a meeting this weekend and ahead of weekly U.S. stocks data expected to show another fall in crude inventories.

Oil held above $47 a barrel on Tuesday, as dealers mulled the possibility of deeper OPEC output cuts at a meeting this weekend and ahead of weekly U.S. stocks data expected to show another fall in crude inventories.

The Dalai Lama is set to mark his 50 years in exile on Tuesday by demanding meaningful autonomy for his Tibetan homeland and saying that Chinese rule there has at times been hell on earth.

Oil jumped more than 3 percent to $47 a barrel on Monday as a naval incident between the United States and China, the world's top oil consumers, boosted geopolitical tensions and as dealers pondered the possibility of deeper production cuts by OPEC.

Oil jumped more than 3 percent to over $47 a barrel on Monday on speculation producer group OPEC may cut output again and a naval incident between the United States and China, the world's top oil consumers.

The European Union was set to back an International Monetary Fund call for $500 billion to fight the financial crisis on Monday as world stocks sank toward 14 year lows in a broad-based sell-off.

China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier, is in talks with Taiwan's three major mobile phone network operators to cooperate on roaming services, chairman Wang Jianzhou said on Monday.