Britain's economy recorded its fastest annual growth since 2007 last year despite a bigger-than-expected slowdown in the final three months of 2014, giving a mixed message just 100 days before Britons go to the polls.
Sectors
S&P downgrades Russia's sovereign credit rating to 'junk'
Ratings agency S&P cut Russia's sovereign credit rating to junk status on Monday, bringing it below investment grade for the first time in a decade.
'Frozen' heats up Japan box office in 2014
Japanese cinemas rang up a healthy rise in ticket sales in 2014 as blockbuster animation film "Frozen" eclipsed an otherwise lackluster show by Hollywood, industry data showed on Tuesday.
China's Li says to create 10 million jobs in 2015: China Daily
China's Premier Li Keqiang pledged to create at least 10 million new jobs in 2015, the state run China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday, despite economic growth that slowed to its weakest pace in nearly a quarter of a century last year.
Carnival eyes new China line for burgeoning cruise market
Cruise operator Carnival Corp is in talks with state-owned China Merchants Group Ltd (CMG) to develop a new cruise line for the fast-growing China market, the U.S. firm said in a statement on Tuesday.
Latest News
Oil gave up early gains with Brent futures slipping below $48 on Tuesday as a stronger dollar weighed, offsetting comments from producer group OPEC that prices may have found a floor.
The Obama administration on Monday unveiled an ambitious plan to control health costs by moving the $2.9 trillion U.S. health systems away from costly fee-for-service medicine, beginning with the Medicare program for the elderly and disabled.
U.S. President Barack Obama ended a landmark day in India on Monday with a pledge of $4 billion in investments and loans, seeking to release what he called the "untapped potential" of a business and strategic partnership between the world's largest democracies.
The recent rout in oil prices could delay the onset of "peak oil demand," or zero global demand growth, by around five years to beyond 2030, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA) said.
Microsoft Corp on Monday reported a fall in its quarterly profit that was in line with Wall Street forecasts, as sluggish personal computer sales dampened demand for Windows software and the company struggled with the impact of the strong U.S. dollar.
Two Singapore oilfield service firms are finding it tough to refinance debt maturing later this year as the slump in crude prices has made investors and lenders hesitant, banking sources said.
European shares fell and borrowing costs for the euro zone's most indebted states rose on Monday as the leftist Syriza party looked set to take on Greece's international lenders after a crushing victory in early elections.
Italy is considering setting up a state-backed "bad bank" to help clean up its banking sector, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said in a newspaper interview on Sunday.
Oil prices declined on Monday, with U.S. crude falling close to a nearly six-year low, as Saudi Arabia's new King Salman moved to assuage fears of an unstable transition and any policy change in the world's largest oil exporter.
