CHINA

Forty-two countries are close to agreeing an upgrade of their Global Procurement Agreement , a reform that could unlock tens of billions of dollars of commercial opportunities, and many times more if China gets on board, trade sources said on Monday.

Canada's energy minister shot back on Friday at Hollywood celebrities protesting a plan to build a $7 billion oil pipeline to Texas from Alberta in the first public indication that the protests are getting under Ottawa's skin.

Two top Federal Reserve officials on Monday defended the central bank's most recent effort to boost growth, with one suggesting further steps may be justified.

More Chinese police should use microblogs to give the public correct facts and release authorized information to dispel misunderstandings, the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday, in a new effort to counter critics of the government.

Gold will continue to serve as a hedge against risk on a longer-term basis despite recent falls, given the lack of other safe-haven assets to protect investors against global economic uncertainty, a manager at Stenham Asset Management said.

Liang passed a vetting procedure and is on schedule to join the 300-member committee by next October

The euro zone debt crisis is sapping consumer confidence and if policymakers do not take effective action soon the consequences will be felt the world over, retail executives warned on Monday.

Wall Street stocks were set to open about 1 percent higher on Monday on hopes euro zone policymakers were putting together new measures to help ease the region's debt crisis, but the lack of clarity on their potential effectiveness was seen keeping markets volatile.

Yahoo, afloat after the abrupt sacking of CEO Carol Bartz, has received “inquiries from multiple parties” interested “in a number of potential options,” remaining top managers told employees.

ST-Ericsson has revealed that HTC and China Mobile have announced the first smartphone on the planet to be based on NovaThor chipsets.

Gold was set for its biggest three-day loss in 28 years on Monday, as investors fled commodity markets in a scramble to secure cash in the face of mounting fear over the impact of a potential Greek debt default on the rest of the euro zone.

Gold pared some of Monday's losses by midday in Europe but was still on course for its largest monthly slide in three years, as investors scrambled for cash in the face of mounting fear over the impact of a potential Greek debt default.

Stock index futures rose on Monday on hopes European policymakers were putting together new measures to help ease the region's debt crisis, but the lack of clarity on their potential effectiveness was seen keeping markets volatile.

Copper slumped to a 14-month low on Monday, adding to sharp falls from the last three weeks, as fears of a Greek debt default and the threat of a global recession sparked heightened concerns about demand for industrial metals.

European stock index futures fell on Monday, following a slump in Asian shares, and the euro slid amid skepticism that Europe's latest efforts to contain its sovereign debt crisis can prevent it from wreaking more damage on the world economy.

European stock index futures fell on Monday, following a slump in Asian shares, and the euro slid amid skepticism that Europe's latest efforts to contain its sovereign debt crisis can prevent it from wreaking more damage on the world economy.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will arrive in Sudan late on Sunday for talks expected to focus on boosting political and economic ties between the two allies, Sudanese officials said.

A group of five leading emerging economies that has banded together to increase their global clout is again struggling to find common ground.

Young people across the globe are having more unprotected sex and know less about effective contraception options, a multinational survey revealed on Monday.

Finance chiefs from the Group of 20 nations and the 187-country International Monetary Fund met from Thursday to Sunday.

The global economy was supposed to be better by now.