Higher commodity prices lifted miners while banks also gained early on Tuesday, but weak results from Marks & Spencer dented retailers, limiting gains for Britain's top share index. By 0752 GMT the FTSE 100 was up 0.4 percent or 18.41 points at 4,464.86 after gaining 2.3 percent to close at 4,446.45 the previous session. The

The world's top policymakers offered their brightest assessment of the global economy in months, saying it was stabilising and could start growing again as soon as late this year. Australia's central bank governor Glenn Stevens on Tuesday joined a growing chorus of officials predicting the economy should start pulling out of its worst recession in

British luxury goods group Burberry met forecasts with a 12.5 percent fall in full-year profit and said it was pressing ahead with expansion plans despite continued tough trading conditions. The 153-year old maker of raincoats and handbags said on Tuesday it made profit before tax and one-off items of 175 million pounds ($269 million) in

After 100 years in business and 10 months of frenzied but failed restructuring, General Motors Corp is weeks from the bankruptcy filing experts say will be required to complete the Obama administration's bid to reshape a fallen icon of American industry. Facing a government-imposed June 1 deadline to restructure, GM is scrambling to slash some

Apple Inc could offer lower-cost versions of the iPhone, and without the obligatory monthly data service plan, in hopes of significantly boosting sales, according to one influential technology analyst. Speaking at the Reuters Global Technology Summit in New York on Monday, on Monday Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said he expects Apple in coming

Twitter is working on various ways to make money from its fast-growing microblogging service, but advertising is an option that is not currently being considered. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said on Monday that the company is developing various add-on tools and services for the businesses and professional users of Twitter, which could create a revenue

Nokia unveiled three new cell phone models on Monday, including the cheapest 3G phone to date from the world's top handset maker. The new 2730 Classic is expected to retail for 80 euros ($108), excluding taxes and operator subsidies, and go on sale from the third quarter of this year. An analyst said some smaller

The euro rose on Tuesday, while the dollar and the yen fell after an ongoing recovery in share prices stoked demand for risk, while an expected improvement in German sentiment data due later in the day also boosted the single European currency. European shares rose 1.4 percent in early trade, taking a cue from broadly

World stocks rose for a third day running on Tuesday with banking stocks leading the gains in Europe, while oil hit a six-month peak. Bank stocks rallied on Wall Street on Monday after sources said major banks may soon repay government bailout funds. Britain has held talks with investors to gauge their interest in buying

Stocks opened higher on Monday as stronger-than-expected quarterly results from No. 2 U.S. home improvement chain Lowe's Cos Inc (LOW.N) boosted hopes the recession was abating and spending was stabilizing. Positive broker comments on such stocks as Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), along with a more than 2 percent gain in oil prices, also underpinned