NEWS

France played down hopes on Monday of clinching a deal at a meeting of G20 finance ministers this week that would push forward efforts to deal with global economic imbalances, although it said that remained its goal.

Bundesbank president Axel Weber said in an interview released on Saturday he decided he did not want to be a candidate for the European Central Bank presidency because of a lack of acceptance in some European countries.

French tire maker Michelin sees sales volume and profit rising again in 2011 after sharp improvements in 2010, as it hikes prices to offset rising raw material costs.

The U.S. Treasury will remain intensely focused on correcting China's substantially undervalued yuan despite a decision not to name Beijing a currency manipulator, a senior Treasury official said on Thursday.

Shares in Asian developed markets rose and the dollar and Swiss franc eased on Wednesday as investors bet that China's latest interest rate rise would not derail hopes of a sustained economic recovery.

Most Asian share markets struggled for traction on Tuesday, but Japan's Nikkei hit a fresh 9-month high and Australian stocks rose as hopes of a sustained recovery for the rich world encouraged investors to switch funds from emerging to developed markets.

Market deregulation since 1999 has fueled speculation on commodities markets which , and that needs to be corrected to curb food price volatility, the head of FAO said on Thursday.

World food prices hit a record in January, the U.N. said, while its hunger arm warned bad weather meant a looming era of food volatility, an issue that has already helped spark protests across the Middle East.

World food prices hit a record in January and recent catastrophic weather around the globe could put yet more pressure on the cost of food, an issue that has already helped spark protests across the Middle East.

China will likely raise interest rates again within the month, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing a forecast of economists and bankers with knowledge of the thinking of Chinese policymakers.

Sara Lee Corp plans to split into two public companies focusing on North American meats and international coffee and tea, a move that could make it easier to sell the parts.

Sara Lee Corp plans to split into two separate public companies focusing on North American meats and international coffee after takeover bids it received were not enough to entice it to sell the company.

U.S. grain prices should stay unrelentingly high this year, according to a Reuters poll, the latest sign that the era of cheap food has come to an end.

Starbucks Corp, the world's largest coffee chain, expects rising coffee prices to hit profits more than it previously thought but stressed that it would not raise prices to cover the extra expense.

Starbucks Corp forecast full-year earnings below analysts' expectations as the company expects rising coffee prices to hit profits more than it previously thought.

(Company corrects to narrow fiscal 2011 forecast range in second bullet and fifth paragraph. The information first appeared in UPDATE 2. Changes headline due to space considerations)

Wall Street banks are not taking the kind of big risks they did in commodities just a few years back, even after one of the biggest commodities rallies in two straight quarters since the 1970s.

Morgan Stanley's commodities risk fell in the fourth quarter as it faced trading woes similar to the rest of Wall Street, but the No. 2 U.S. investment bank still pipped top rival Goldman Sachs with a higher risk year-on-year.

Everything old is new again for one Japanese manufacturer, which has unveiled an electronic version of a rickshaw.

Asian stocks rose to their highest since May 2008 on Wednesday, led by sectors most sensitive to the economic growth cycle ahead of U.S. earnings, while the U.S. dollar slid to a two-month low, weighed by traders closing short-term bets against the euro.

The euro rose slightly against the dollar on Tuesday but lingering concerns over the euro zone's debt crisis limited its gains, while Asian tech shares rallied on hopes for a recovery in battered memory chip prices.

The euro was on shaky ground on Tuesday with no imminent decision in sight on how to beef up the euro zone's rescue fund, while Asian tech shares outperformed despite news that Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs is taking medical leave.

JPMorgan Chase & Co's commodities trading risk steadied in the fourth quarter after a rally in oil, metals and grains, marking a shift from the third quarter when it cut risk to pare back on proprietary trading.

JPMorgan Chase & Co's commodities trading risk steadied in the fourth quarter after a rally in oil, metals and grains, marking a shift from the third quarter when it cut risk to pare back on proprietary trading.

China will not bow to foreign demand for faster gains in the yuan and will stick to its gradualist approach in currency reform, senior officials said on Friday, indicating Chinese President Hu Jintao may push back if President Barack Obama presses him on the issue next week.

China's yuan exchange rate policy is based on its own national interests, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday, days before a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama.

Starbucks Corp , the world's largest coffee chain, unveiled a tie-up on Thursday that could bring its iconic cafes to Asia's third-largest economy, where western-style coffee shops are increasingly popular.

The euro dipped on Thursday but could head higher if Spain and Italy, like Portugal, also find decent demand for their debt, while U.S. oil prices crept up to $92 a barrel, potentially straining consumers who are already watching food prices climb.

The euro was stable on Thursday and could head higher if Spain and Italy like Portugal also find decent demand for their debt, while U.S. oil prices marched above $92 a barrel, potentially straining consumers watching food prices climb.