The gold buying demand from China is surging from last December onwards owing investors' priority to safe haven assets. The sluggish stock markets, weaker currency and lower global prices are prime reasons for the rising demand for the yellow metal. The consumption rose 3.7 percent to 985.9 metric tons in 2015.

The lower oil price for about 19 months is benefiting the consumers, but creating a lot of problems for the global governments and business firms. Many banks and the US government forecast oil price above $40 a barrel this year. The oil price fell to below $30 during the past 19 months from $107 a barrel.

The case had been investigated since 2013, and the practices are believed to have been going on since 2011. U.S federal regulators claimed that African-American, as well as Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers, were charged more for auto loans. Toyota voluntarily agreed to pay the amount of compensation, but the company refuses to admit that the practice is a form of racial discrimination.

Malala Yousafzai will be speaking at the "Supporting Syria and the region" conference in London on Thursday, February 4 to ask the world leaders attending to donate $1.4 billion in support of education for Syrian refugees. Muzoon Almellehan, a student and Syrian refugee will also speak at the conference in support of her cause.

The US federal contracts are somehow still not won by the women-owned small companies in this day and age. Senator Jeanne Shaheen has openly expressed her disappointment regarding this sobering fact. But she is still optimistic that the changing laws would rectify the situation and empower women with the experience to bid for larger and more competitive federal contracts in the future.

Citigroup holds view that it's too early to come to a conclusion about the state of the world's largest economy. It advises investors not to offload stocks over China. Citigroup in its latest research reports terms the present uncertainty and sluggishness in the Chinese economy and markets as a 'correction.'

The latest forecast indicates 50 percent rebound in oil prices by the end of 2016. The oil price could be higher by $15 per barrel this year taking the New York crude to $46 a barrel by fourth quarter and Brent to $48 during the same period. The drop in US shale output is likely to drive oil price up in the second half of 2016.

Xerox Corporation will be split into two separate business entities for hardware and services businesses. It's learnt that activist investor Carl Icahn will get multiple positions on the boards of the two companies including three on the board of services company. Xerox's fourth quarter numbers are expected to be released on Friday and an official statement about division may also be announced simultaneously.

The lawsuit is cast out by more than 40 customers, led by Chris Howe. The lawsuit stated that McDonald's aired unfair advertisements with the claim that its new menu item contains 100 percent pure mozzarella cheese, while according to Howe they contain filler. The lawsuit tests support the claim, but McDonald's has refuted the claim.

Reports show that 73 percent women were joining the workforce in 2014, compared to 63 percent in 2005. The rise has also pulled the overall employment rates up for Germany at 78 percent. German's employment rate is growing faster than any other EU country, although the record remains to be held by Sweden.