IBT Staff Reporter

HSBC Holdings Plc is in advanced discussions to acquire the banking assets of Royal Bank of Scotland in three Asian countries, the Wall Street Journal online reported on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah flew to Syria on Wednesday for talks with President Bashar al-Assad aimed at healing a rift that has aggravated Arab discord over Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Lebanon.

Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of involvement in the disappearance of a technology university researcher, Iranian media reported.

Stocks edged lower on Wednesday, as investors awaited proof that corporate earnings will support recent strong gains.

Ustad Abdul Fattah once made jewelry in Afghanistan's royal studio, developing a lifetime of skills that went to waste in a country plunged into war after the king was toppled in 1973.

Turkish police fired tear gas and used water cannon for a second day to break up protests in Istanbul against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Wednesday.

Canada's prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize announced its short list of finalists on Tuesday, after reviewing 96 books submitted from across the country.

A prominent al Qaeda militant urged Uighurs in Xianjiang to make serious preparations for a holy war against oppressive China and called on fellow Muslims to offer support.

The skeleton of a sperm whale is competing with the brain of a cow for this year's Turner Prize, Britain 's annual competition of contemporary art that regularly triggers debate about what is art and what is not.

Detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi met a high-level official in Myanmar's military-ruled government for a second time in a week following her offer to lobby the West to lift sanctions.

Relief workers struggled to reach Indonesian quake survivors still without food or shelter a week after the disaster, while foreign rescue teams packed up their high-tech equipment on Wednesday and prepared to pull out.

Demand for Chinese paintings was firm but mixed at Sotheby's Asia sales in Hong Kong on Tuesday, with quality pieces and traditional, more classical paintings trumping the contemporary art market which remains fragile.

Italy was awaiting a court decision which could emerge Wednesday on whether a law granting Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immunity violates the constitution.

Pakistan's army on Wednesday expressed serious concern about a U.S. aid bill that critics say contains conditions that amount to a humiliating violation of sovereignty as parliament began a debate on the U.S. aid.

A German publisher said Tuesday it had canceled the printing of a murder mystery about an honor killing because it contained passages insulting Islam and may have prompted Islamist retaliation.

Russia sees a redrafted U.S. anti-missile shield plan as less of a security threat than the previously proposed project, Russian agencies said Wednesday, which should ease tensions between the two powers.

Unemployment is the top U.S. economic political priority, a leading pollster said on Wednesday.

Companies that use derivatives to hedge their risk are set to make a last-ditch effort on Wednesday to persuade Congress to weaken legislation regulating the opaque $450-trillion private swaps market.

New Line is going on a Vacation. The Warner Bros. division is developing a sequel of sorts to the 1983 comedy classic, with Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin attached to produce and possibly direct.

Adrien Brody will star in Robert Rodriguez's Predators, a reboot of the sci-fi franchise.

U.S. labor and manufacturing groups urged President Barack Obama on Tuesday to live up to his campaign rhetoric and formally label China a currency manipulator in a Treasury Department report due out next week.

The teacup pigs were featured this morning on NBC's Today Show because of its growing demand from people including from celebrities who want them as their pets.

President Barack Obama told congressional leaders on Tuesday his decision on a new Afghan war strategy would not make everyone happy, while Republicans urged him to heed his military commander's call for more troops.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that some countries had offered to provide Iran with uranium enriched to 20 percent for use as nuclear reactor fuel, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The United States came under pressure to show leadership in U.N. climate talks on Wednesday with Mexico saying its neighbor is a stumbling block in efforts to try to craft a tough global climate agreement by December.

Canada's Nortel Networks said on Wednesday it has agreed to a stalking horse offer from U.S. network specialist Ciena Corp to buy its optical networking and Internet infrastructure businesses for $521 million.

Swiss authorities rejected an appeal on Tuesday to release from jail Roman Polanski, the film director arrested last month after fleeing the United States in 1978 to avoid sentencing in an underage sex case.

British bank Barclays could acquire a wealth management business at least the size of Julius Baer to meet its target of ranking in the top five private banks globally, Barclays Wealth's vice chairman said on Wednesday.

The Afghan Taliban pose no threat to the West but will continue their fight against occupying foreign forces, they said on Wednesday, the eighth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion that removed them from power.