UNITED KINGDOM

Europe's biggest bank HSBC Holdings Plc said its underlying third-quarter profits were significantly ahead of a year ago and losses on U.S. consumer loans had shown their first fall in three years.

Barclays Plc said strong investment banking helped limit a fall in profit in the third quarter and it expects bad debts to peak earlier than it had previously expected.

World stocks ticked higher on Tuesday as positive reports from UK banks kept the momentum with investors who chased risky assets in anticipation countries would keep monetary policy accommodative.

The Australian Dollar opens higher against the greenback today at 0.9285. Stronger than expected local housing finance data during the local session yesterday gave the currency a boost to an intraday high of 0.9241. Home loans grew by 5.1 per cent in September to 65,505 after 2 months of slowing demand in yet another signal to markets that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may need to hike rates in the coming months. The RBA is known to be concerned about unimpeded price-growth in the resident...

Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders hailed the human courage that toppled the Berlin Wall, saying the historic events of 20 years ago showed the world could tackle new challenges, from poverty to climate change.

Britain's Trading Emissions and Leaf Clean Energy are in early merger talks in a move that would create the largest carbon-focused company listed in London.

The British government has approved 10 new nuclear power plant sites out of a previous 11 nominations. The new units could be built by 2025.

Britain set out plans Monday to speed up the planning process for big wind farms and new nuclear power plants and named 10 sites where reactors could be built.

A top shareholder in Cadbury said investors in the British confectionery firm would find it hard to turn down an offer of more than 8 pounds a share from U.S. suitor Kraft.

Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the courage of easterners who helped bring down the Berlin Wall as the city celebrated the 20th anniversary of the events that marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a reunited Germany.

Kraft Foods Incsaid on Monday it secured a $9.2 billion senior unsecured term loan to help finance its $16.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Britain's Cadbury Plc.

U.S. stocks jumped on Monday, extending gains from the previous week, on renewed risk-taking sentiment after the Group of 20 pledged to keep economic stimulus in place until a recovery was assured.

McDonald's Corp said sales at established U.S. restaurants fell 0.1 percent in October, as expected, but its stock ticked up 1.5 percent after sales from the rest of the world buoyed overall results.

Rich countries and developing nations fought over climate change on Saturday, failing to make progress on financing ahead of a major environmental summit in Copenhagen next month.

U.S. stocks jumped on Monday, extending gains from the previous week, on renewed risk-taking sentiment after the Group of 20 pledged to keep economic stimulus in place until a recovery was assured.

Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the courage of East Germans who helped topple the Berlin Wall as leaders converged on the German capital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of an event which marked the end of the Cold War.

Wall Street was set to open higher on Monday on renewed risk-taking sentiment after the Group of 20 pledged to maintain economic stimulus in place until a recovery was reassured.

Kraft Foods turned hostile in its bid for Cadbury on Monday, making a formal but unchanged takeover offer which now triggers a bid battle for the British confectioner which could last up to three months.

Cadbury's shares edged up by early afternoon on Monday as the clock ticked toward a 1700 GMT deadline for Kraft Foods to either make a formal takeover bid for the British confectionery group or walk away.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a 1 percent gain at the open on Monday as investors took comfort from a pledge by the Group of 20 to keep economic stimulus in place until a recovery was reassured.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday as investors took comfort from a pledge by the Group of 20 to keep economic stimulus in place until a recovery was reassured.