The dollar slid to a new 15-year low against the yen on Tuesday ahead of a Japanese ruling party leadership vote in which the prime minister faces a challenge from a proponent of more aggressive fiscal stimulus. The dollar hit a nine-month low against the Swiss franc and a one-month low against a basket of

Asian stocks edged up while the yen rose to a 15-year high on Tuesday ahead of a decisive vote in Japan, leaving unclear whether a rally that lifted global equities to the highest in four months can stay alive. The yen has for the past few years been a gauge of investors' distaste for risk-taking,

Capri, Geneva and New York top the list for the most expensive hotel rooms, according to a global survey that showed hotel rates rising for the first time in three years as the global economy picks up. Hotel provider Hotels.com's bi-annual hotel price index, released on Tuesday, found that although average hotel room rates are

The euro zone economy is likely to grow almost twice as fast this year as previously thought, the European Commission forecast on Monday, mainly because of much stronger growth in its biggest economy Germany. In its twice-yearly interim economic forecasts for the 27-nation EU and the 16 countries using the single currency, the EU executive

Global economic growth is likely to slow down in the second half of this year, but a double-dip into a new recession is unlikely, the European Commission forecast on Monday. "Despite the expected soft patch, global gross domestic product, excluding the European Union, is projected to grow by some 5 percent in 2010, up by

New bank capital requirements agreed by global regulators brought relief to Asia's financial sector on Monday as fears that lenders might be forced into fresh capital raising were put to rest. The new rules, known as Basel III, will require banks to hold top-quality capital totalling 7% of their risk-bearing assets. This is a substantial

Asian shares rose on Monday on encouraging economic data out of China and the United States, and as a deal on global bank rules gave lenders some respite before having to raise hundreds of bilions of dollars in fresh capital. Japan's benchmark Nikkei average rose 1.4%, while the MSCI index of Asian shares outside Japan

LONDON (Reuters) – The economic downturn threatens to raise cancer rates in Europe as lifestyles change, budgets are cut, and private and public sector employers take short cuts on safety, public health experts said Monday. The number of deaths from cancer is falling in the region but prevention efforts are lagging behind, with new cases