Worldwide

Financial News

Asian Stocks Climb to Nine-Month High as Sony, Samsung Electronics Advance Asian stocks advanced to the highest in nine months after Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. boosted profit and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to its fifth record this year.

Telecom N.Z.'s Gattung Quits; Seven-Year Term Marred by Losses, Stock Drop Theresa Gattung quit as chief executive officer of Telecom Corp., New Zealand's largest publicly-traded company, ending a seven-year term marred by a breakdown in relations with the government and a 36 percent plunge in its shares.

Lone Star to Collect $445 Million Dividend From Korean Bank It Can't Sell Lone Star Funds, the U.S. buyout firm whose sale of Korea Exchange Bank was blocked by a corruption probe, will collect $445 million in dividends from the firm.

Rio Tinto May Buy Stake in India's Sesa Goa to Increase Iron-Ore Deposits Rio Tinto Group, the world's second- largest iron ore exporter, is studying the purchase of Mitsui & Co.'s controlling stake in Sesa Goa Ltd., India's biggest non- state iron-ore exporter, worth about $860 million.

Paulson Says Yen's Value Set in Market, China Embracing `Currency Reform' U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said he's unconcerned about the value of the yen even as European policy makers say they are increasingly alarmed at the Japanese currency's slide.

Toyota, Nissan Lead Asian Carmakers to Record U.S. Market Share in January Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., Japan's three largest automakers, increased U.S. sales in January and led Asia-based companies to a record monthly market share.

Trade Deficit in Australia Widens to $1 Billion as Drought Curbs Exports Australia's trade deficit widened more than expected in December as aircraft imports climbed and drought curbed wheat exports, signaling growth may slow in the Asia-Pacific region's fifth-largest economy.

General News

Palestinian Cease-Fire Broken as Hamas, Fatah Fighters Clash in Gaza Strip The cease-fire between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah was broken as gunmen clashed in the Gaza Strip, undermining efforts to form a unity government.

North Korean Food Aid Program Needs Funds to Continue Into 2009, UN Says The United Nations program to feed about a quarter of North Korea's 24 million people needs funds to operate until 2009, after countries such as the U.S. ended or reduced their support, the head of the World Food Program said.

Senate Approves U.S. Minimum-Wage Bill With Tax Cuts for Small Businesses The Senate voted 94-3 to approve the first increase in the U.S. minimum wage in a decade after Democrats and Republicans agreed to extend tax breaks for small businesses that would bear the cost of the higher wages.

World Equity Indexes 

Futures 

World Currencies 

Rates & Bonds 

Economic Calendar