Expectations that the Federal Reserve is moving closer toward printing more money to support the U.S. economy lifted both stocks and bonds on Wednesday, while the dollar fell to a six-week low against the euro on a dwindling yield advantage. Gold was in sight of $1,300 an ounce, having hit a record high overnight after

Hong Kong stocks rose on Wednesday morning, extending a five-month high, with consumer-related plays gaining ground ahead of China's "golden week" holiday and local property issues extending recent gains. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was up 0.76% at 22,169.93 by the midday trading break, less than 1% below its peak for the year reached in

The dollar hovered near a five-week low on Tuesday and oil eased as traders positioned for a Federal Reserve policy meeting later that may discuss whether the fragile U.S. economy needs a fresh infusion of cash. Few market players expect the Fed to make further easing moves just yet — and the dollar could gain

Shares in Hong Kong held a five-month high on Tuesday while Shanghai-listed shares were a tad weaker in light volume, with investors continuing to trim exposure ahead of a long holiday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed the morning session 0.12% higher at 22,004.24, with optimism on the back of strong gains on Wall Street

The yuan extended a rally on Tuesday to nine days, rising the most in that period since January 2008 following strong criticism from U.S. President Barack Obama about China's currency policy. Trading in offshore yuan forwards was busy after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) lifted the yuan's mid-point, its daily reference rate around which

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Turkey planned to gradually sell off up to 49% of state oil company TPAO in public offerings, Haberturk newspaper reported on Tuesday. Yildiz also told reporters that state pipeline company Botas will be privatised in the same way, the paper said. "This will come onto the agenda in concrete terms

LONDON (Reuters) – British children's weekly pocket money has fallen to a seven-year low, in a sign parents are still cutting back on non-essential spending even as the country emerges from recession, a survey showed Monday. Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking Group, said average pocket money fell to 5.89 pounds ($9.23) a week in 2010

CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. doctors increasingly are ditching pen and paper and sending prescriptions to pharmacies electronically, lured by up to $27 bln in government funds aimed at speeding the switch to electronic medical records. There are now 200,000 doctors who use e-prescribing, or roughly one in three office-based doctors.

Britain's top shares extended gains by midday on Monday, led by energy shares after BP permanently killed its deep-sea well in the Gulf of Mexico. By 1039 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 63.51 points, or 1.2%, at 5,571.96, rallying on recent falls, albeit in thin trade with volumes at just 21% of their 90-day