Global stocks and oil fell on Tuesday and government bonds rose as investors grew concerned about the durability of the recent rally, while the yen held firm after a landslide election win for Japan's opposition. The MSCI world equity index came under pressure on Monday following a near-7 percent decline in China's stocks — the

Sagging bank and commodity stocks dragged Britain's top share index down 1.3 percent by midday on Tuesday as doubts about the summer's strong rally began to appear. At 1032 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 63.68 points at 4,845.22, after closing up 0.8 percent at 4,908.90 on Friday, having also touched a near 11-month high

Stock index futures fell on Tuesday, ahead of report expected to show U.S. manufacturing expanded for the first time since the recession began, as fears persist about the strength of the global recovery. The Institute for Supply Management's August survey follows similar reports in China and Europe that showed manufacturing around the world continues to

Britain's top share index was slightly lower in early trade on Tuesday, as weak banks and miners outweighed gains in defensives such as pharmaceutical, beverage and tobacco stocks. At 0807 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.5 percent, or 23.95 points, at 4,884.95, after closing up 0.8 percent at 4,908.90 on Friday, having also touched

Internet auction and services company EBay Inc has reached a deal to sell its online telephony unit Skype to a group of private investors, the New York Times said, citing two people briefed on its plans. Andreessen Horowitz, a new venture capital firm headed by the Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen, is likely to be among

Net lending to Britons in July was its weakest since records began in 1993, even as the number of mortgages approved rose to its highest since April 2008, Bank of England figures showed on Tuesday. The figures suggest that many Britons are choosing to pay down their debt as the economic downturn persists. Separate figures

Global stocks eased on Tuesday as buoyant shares and economic data in China failed to erase concern over the durability of the recent rally, while the yen held firm after a landslide election win for Japan's opposition. The MSCI world equity index came under pressure on Monday following a near-7 percent decline in the onshore

Oil climbed back above $70 a barrel on Tuesday as stock markets rallied and manufacturing sector data suggested China's economic recovery was on track. Oil prices fell almost 4 percent on Monday, their biggest drop in more than two weeks, in line with stocks on worries that the Chinese government was tightening bank lending to

European shares were higher in early trade on Tuesday, with investors sticking to defensive drugmakers as they await U.S. pending home sales. By 0706 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was up 0.5 percent at 976.69 points. "Anything that shows new home sales rising and inventories falling is good as it strengthens