UNITED STATES

Hedge fund billionaire John Paulson raised his firm's stake in Cadbury on Wednesday and now holds 2.54 percent of the British confectioner, the subject of a hostile bid by U.S. food group Kraft.

German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said after meeting General Motors executives on Wednesday that the U.S. carmaker needed 3.3 billion euros ($4.9 billion) for its plans to restructure its Opel unit.

German generic drugmaker Ratiopharm has attracted at least 10 first-round bids, several people familiar with the procedure told Reuters on Wednesday, indicating that a competitive auction was underway.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday declared Iran's readiness for international nuclear cooperation, including on a global fuel bank, but made clear again that Tehran would not halt its own atomic activities.

The Dow industrials and the S&P 500 index made new yearly highs on Wednesday after data showed China industrial output surged and Federal Reserve officials hinted money would remain cheap well into 2010.

Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, had only months to live when he received a visit from an old friend, Rob Fraley, chief of technology for Monsanto Co.

The Dow industrials and the S&P 500 index made new yearly highs on Wednesday after data showed China industrial output surged and Federal Reserve officials hinted money would remain cheap well into 2010.

K-Swiss Inc, a maker of athletic shoes, said its board approved a new $70 million repurchase program for Class A shares, replacing its existing buyback plan that expires by year-end.

General Motors Co Chairman Ed Whitacre on Tuesday urged the Obama administration to give the automaker less restrictive pay caps and said it was too early to discuss the timing for the automaker to become a public company again.

Chinese mobile telecoms services firm Umessage is eyeing a Hong Kong or U.S. listing in two years, a top executive at the firm said on Wednesday.

Initial public offerings in Europe are gaining momentum, with three major IPOs set to launch before year-end and about $10 billion that could be raised in the next six months as volatile equity markets calm down.

Japan's greenhouse gas emissions tumbled 6.2 percent last year in a new sign on Wednesday that recession is doing the job of cutting emissions while the world struggles toward a U.N. pact to combat climate change.

Oil rose toward $80 on Wednesday, responding to a 15 month low in the dollar and robust Chinese demand growth and factory output.

U.S. stocks climbed on Wednesday as optimism spread after a jump in Chinese factory growth and comments from Federal Reserve officials suggested interest rates would remain low well into 2010.

NATO's secretary-general said on Wednesday he expected the alliance to provide more resources for training Afghan troops and police, but would not comment on exact troop numbers.

The Palestinian president on Wednesday resisted U.S. pressure for a resumption of peace talks with Israel, repeating his demand for a complete halt to West Bank settlement building before negotiations.

The world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia launched three new CDMA phones on Wednesday and said it remained committed to the standard, which has long been overshadowed by the more global GSM.

Former President Bill Clinton visited the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to urge Senate Democrats to quickly pass a broad healthcare overhaul, but a party leader said final action could spill into next year.

A naval skirmish between the two Koreas will not derail the Obama administration's plans to send its first envoy to Pyongyang to revive dormant nuclear talks, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

The United States and Japan will agree this week to review their decades-old security alliance to tighten ties long term, a Japanese newspaper said Wednesday, as the two countries struggled to keep a feud over a U.S. military base from spoiling their leaders' summit.

Instead of just hanging around at airports while waiting for your flight, Google said it will be offering free Wi-Fi to travelers across the United States starting Tuesday at 47 airports.