China overtook the United States as the world's top importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and its purchases are expected to remain strong despite a slowing economy, with far-reaching consequences for global oil and commodities markets.

Australia Monday announced plans to go after large multinational firms shifting profits offshore to minimise taxes, with 30 companies in the government's sights.

China's smartphone market has reached saturation, according to a new study by industry analyst IDC that carries potentially

An unpopular new consumption tax has handed fresh ammunition to critics of Malaysia's embattled prime minister, with angry consumers complaining it has sent some prices surging, and economists warning it could harm growth.

Telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent, which is set to be bought by larger rival Nokia, improved profit margins in the first quarter despite a marked sales slowdown in its biggest market, the United States.

Samsung kicked off Thursday construction of a new chip plant to help fuel growth as smartphone sales slow, saying it would invest 15.6 trillion won ($14.3 billion) until production begins in 2017.

China should allow greater flexibility in its exchange rate policy by reducing intervention, as part of its efforts to secure a gradual moderation in growth while pursuing economic reforms, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday.

Qatar is to build seven "cities" to house more than a quarter of a million migrant labourers building major infrastructure and projects for the 2022 World Cup, officials said Tuesday.

Iran is expected to outline big oil and gas projects at a major industry event Wednesday ahead of a possible nuclear deal that could allow global energy giants to return.

Prices in Ukraine will rise this year at the fastest rate since 1996 due to a sharp slump in the national hryvnia currency and a rise in utilities prices under an IMF bailout programme, a Reuters monthly survey showed.

Brussels formally opened an anti-trust inquiry into Europe's online shopping marketplace on Wednesday amid concerns about how websites such as Amazon and Google use their influence.

Construction of China's first "third generation" nuclear reactor will start on Thursday, a state-run company said, as Beijing attempts to export its atomic energy designs globally.

It is a Catch-22 for Nandkumar Patil, one of the millions of sugar cane farmers in India.

As growth in China's sagging economy looks on the verge of spilling below 7 percent, officials worried about a spike in unemployment are pulling out all the stops to avoid mass lay-offs.

General Motors aims to grab at least 5 percent market share in India within the next decade, as it sees that market overtaking Japan as the world's third biggest with projected annual sales of 8 million vehicles by 2025.

Wide differences over pension and labour reforms continued to dog intensive negotiations between Greece's leftist government and its international creditors despite progress in other areas as the country's cash position becomes increasingly critical.

The World Bank indirectly invests part of its $18.8 billion staff pension fund in companies in industries such as coal and tobacco, holdings that clash with the development institution's own calls for ethical and low-carbon investing.

A Chinese regulator investigated Siemens AG last year over whether the German group's healthcare unit and its dealers bribed hospitals to buy expensive disposable products used in some of its medical devices, three people with knowledge of the probe told Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified an accord Saturday to set up a $100-billion reserve fund for the so-called BRICS -- the five leading emerging economies that include Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa.

In 1990, an assessment called Project Rainbow paved the way for HSBC to move from Hong Kong to Britain. As Europe's biggest bank now considers moving back, the same exercise offers clues to its final decision, say industry sources and analysts.