Tokyo gold futures rose on Tuesday in line with rises in New York's Comex market and spot bullion prices, which looked set to top a key resistance level of $416 an ounce this week.
Comex gold futures closed with a more secure footing above $400 an ounce on Monday, boosted by views in the market that a struggling US dollar should continue to support the precious metal, traders said.
Gold climbed in Asia on Tuesday afternoon as it looked set to puncture a key resistance of $416 an ounce this week, after a Group of Seven (G7) meeting failed to come up with any agreement to stem the dollar's fall.
Shanghai copper futures closed down at or near their three percent daily limits on Monday, hit by a spree of profit-taking sparked by talk that China might allow its yuan to appreciate, traders said.
The US Agriculture Department will not temporarily ban soybean imports from countries affected by a devastating plant disease despite requests from two US farm groups, a USDA spokesman said on Monday.
Rough rice futures at the Chicago Board of Trade ended firm on Monday, following the day's trend in soyabean futures, which recovered after a lower open, traders said.
China looks set to resume long-awaited corn exports as soon as March, helped by high international prices, while the spread of the deadly bird flu is eating into domestic demand for animal feed.
The American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest US farm group, on Monday backed a controversial call to temporarily ban soybean imports into the United States from countries with a crippling plant disease.
Chicago Board of Trade soyabean futures ended higher on Monday on commercial buying, erasing break on fears that the avian flu would spread, and as soyaoil set a 15-1/2 year high on worries about tight global soyaoil supplies, traders said.
Oil prices tiptoed higher on Tuesday ahead of Opec's ministerial gathering in Algiers, which is widely expected to leave production limits unchanged for the time being but urge members to adhere closely to output quotas.
Malaysian crude palm oil (CPO) futures extended their gains by the close on Tuesday, spurred by fresh 15-1/2 year highs overnight in rival Chicago soyoil.
US farmers will pocket the highest farm-gate price for corn in six years, an average $2.45 a bushel, thanks to high-volume exports and strong demand at home for livestock feed and ethanol, the government said on Tuesday.
Oil prices rose more than a dollar a barrel on Tuesday after producer group Opec made a surprise decision to slice a million barrels per day of its supply from world markets starting in April.
London robusta coffee futures climbed on Tuesday, supported by modest industry buying and speculative interest in a market that also registered fresh - but limited - spread business on the front-month contracts, dealers said.
NYCE cotton futures closed at an 11-week low Tuesday on speculative fund sales which touched off automatic sell-orders in a technical breakdown which could cause further losses this week, analysts said.
A controversial United Nations diet and health report that sets a goal for sugar consumption lacks a thorough scientific basis and needs more work, a majority of member states said on Tuesday.
Gold retained its firmer trend in Europe on Tuesday afternoon despite the dollar making up some ground against the euro, but prices remained stubbornly below the $410 level despite earlier expectations for the metal to crack that level.
CSCE raw sugar futures ended mostly higher Tuesday on trade buying and switch activity although market players feel poor fundamentals will eventually drag the sweetener lower in the days ahead, brokers said.
Wheat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were higher early on Tuesday, supported by a reduction in USDA's forecasts for US and global ending stocks for 2003/04, traders said.
Chicago Board of Trade soybeans were mixed at midday Tuesday, with nearby sagging after a near 7-year top in soybeans and a 15-1/2 year high in soyoil on speculative and light commercial buying, traders said.
The Chicago Board of Trade corn market was on a roller coaster ride on Tuesday, falling on farmer hedge pressure after rallying to six-year highs on a larger-than-expected cut in US corn ending stocks, traders said.
COMEX copper prices fell after the opening on Tuesday as some players decided to cash in profits following Monday's rally 6-1/2-year highs, traders said.
COMEX gold futures advanced on Tuesday morning, taking a cue from a sagging US dollar, which made the precious metal cheaper to buy for holders of overseas currencies, dealers said.
Malaysia approved foreign investments of 15.6 billion ringgit ($4.1 billion) in 2003, up 35 percent on the year before despite a sluggish global economy and effects from Sars, according to official data out on Tuesday.
Philips Electronics said on Tuesday it returned to the black in 2003, with net profit well up on forecasts, boosting its shares as it expressed cautious optimism for 2004.
Philips Electronics said on Tuesday it returned to the black in 2003, with net profit well up on forecasts, boosting its shares as it expressed cautious optimism for 2004.
Britain narrowly avoided a new record international goods trade deficit in 2003 as flagging demand from the EU was outstripped by robust demand from the giant United States economy, official data showed on Tuesday.
The White House on Tuesday responded to news of a surprise Opec decision to cut oil output limits by saying it hoped the cartel did not take actions that hurt the US economy.
Opec on Tuesday agreed a surprise cut in supplies from April 1, propelling world oil prices higher and drawing a caution from the United States not to hurt economic growth.
Opec on Tuesday agreed a surprise cut in supplies from April 1, propelling world oil prices higher and drawing a caution from the United States not to hurt economic growth.
British oil giant BP fell short of market forecasts with flat fourth-quarter profits on Tuesday but resumed share buybacks to support its stock and sold a Chinese stake-holding to help fund the repurchase.
British oil giant BP fell short of market forecasts with flat fourth-quarter profits on Tuesday but resumed share buybacks to support its stock and sold a Chinese stake-holding to help fund the repurchase.
The Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) signed a credit facilities deal Tuesday with the Kuwait-based Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corp (IAIGC) to promote Arab exports to Iraq, a statement said.
The Opec oil producer cartel is over-managing global oil markets and leaving too little leeway to deal with sudden crises, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday.
Switzerland's top banking group UBS on Tuesday announced its second highest annual profit ever in 2003 on the back of a recovery of confidence in financial markets.
Switzerland's top banking group UBS on Tuesday announced its second highest annual profit ever in 2003 on the back of a recovery of confidence in financial markets.
Italian prosecutors handling the Parmalat financial scandal have placed under investigation five international banks, two Italian institutions and some employees for suspected market-rigging, media reports said on Tuesday.
South Korea's consumer sentiment index hit its highest level in 16 months in January, a government survey showed on Tuesday, marking the latest sign a long-awaited recovery in domestic consumption may be emerging.
European Union finance ministers played down the impact of a fresh rise in the euro on Tuesday, focusing instead on reining in budget deficits and structural reforms aimed at making their economies more dynamic.
British exploration firm Cairn Energy plans to drill three or four appraisal wells in the next few months in Rajasthan, where it recently discovered oil, the firm's Chief Executive Bill Gammell said.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, pledged on Tuesday to keep the yuan exchange rate stable and perfect the exchange rate system but reiterated that the country had no plans to re-value its currency.
Siemens said on Tuesday its ICN fixed-line telecoms arm had won a deal to supply Internet Protocol (IP) services to US local phone company SBC Communications, confirming an earlier Reuters report.
Britain has Europe's best corporate governance with Germany, Spain and the Netherlands among the worst, although the continental standards as a whole are improving, according to Brussels research firm Deminor.
While the recent rise of the euro may hit the competitiveness of German-made goods in the short term, the development will not harm exporters in the long term, the Bundesbank's chief economist Hermann Remsperger said Tuesday.
Manhattan's chief prosecutor has executed a search warrant as part of an investigation into food group Parmalat's operations in the United States, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Business leaders from China and the United States have agreed economic affairs should be de-politicised and trade frictions ought to be solved through dialogue, state media said Tuesday.
French carmaker Renault posted a forecast-beating rise in 2003 profits on Tuesday thanks to its stake in Japan's Nissan and the success of its revamped Megane range, and predicted more growth ahead.
Croatia plans to grant a licence for the third GSM mobile phone operator later this year, after setting up a new telecommunications regulatory agency, its Transport minister said on Tuesday.
Saadullah Khan & Brothers (SKB) and Meezan Bank Limited (MBL) led syndicate signed a landmark Rs 910 million Syndicated Murabaha Finance Facility on January 30 at MBL's Finance & Trade Centre Branch, Karachi.
The prize giving ceremony of Hewlett-Packards (HP) mega promotion of the year "Travel the World with HP Grand Lucky Draw 2003" was held recently in Lahore.
Taiwan stocks edged higher to set a 40-month closing high for a second straight session on Tuesday as investors steered away from high-priced tech and banking stocks and pursued industrial shares.
Hong Kong's top shares drifted lower on Tuesday after sharp gains in the past two sessions, but banks rose as Bank of East Asia's results impressed investors and set a promising precedent for the earnings season.
Singapore shares came off two-week highs to end lower on Tuesday, led by ST Assembly Test Services after the firm said it planned to buy a US-based competitor, ChipPAC Inc.
Malaysia's key share index ended lower on Tuesday as bigger issues retraced recent gains while chipmakers like Unisem bucked the trend on signs of rising global electronics demand.
China's shares closed down on Tuesday, depressed by profit-taking amid large caps, but companies based in the country's southern boomtown of Shenzhen gained on hopes of government restructuring.
Jakarta stocks snapped a three-day winning streak on Tuesday to close marginally lower, as investors realised recent gains from some shares, especially cigarette companies.
Sri Lanka stocks ended down nearly four percent at six-month lows on Tuesday, with investors still reeling from a weekend snap election call that raised fears for the future of peace efforts with Tamil Tiger rebels.
The Nikkei average closed at a seven-week low on Tuesday as poor profits at precision equipment maker Nikon Corp on soft digital camera sales spurred selling that included Olympus Corp.
Philippines stocks, led by leading phone firm PLDT and second-ranked Globe Telecom Inc, closed higher for the third straight session on Tuesday on further bargain-hunting in select blue chips.
US stocks gained at midday on Tuesday as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's testimony on Wednesday and welcomed media conglomerate Viacom's plan to spin off its stake in Blockbuster Inc.
European corporate bonds edged marginally lower in value on Tuesday as some investors looked to take profits after the gains of the last few days, but traders said activity was extremely quiet.
European corporate bonds edged marginally lower in value on Tuesday as some investors looked to take profits after the gains of the last few days, but traders said activity was extremely quiet.
Leading UK shares closed lower on Tuesday, hurt by earnings from oil major BP which came in below already lowered expectations, with dollar-earning companies broadly hurt by another fall in the US currency.
The Indian rupee ended weaker on Tuesday, easing from a 3 1/2 year closing peak struck last session on suspected central bank intervention, dealers said.
The dollar gained marginally on Monday in range-bound trading as investors concluded that a Group of Seven statement warning against "excess volatility" in currency markets suggested no official action to stem the greenback's downtrend.
The Singapore dollar rose past the 1.6800 per US dollar barrier on Tuesday to hit a new four-year high, while the Taiwan dollar and South Korean won made strong headway despite talk of central bank intervention.
Sterling hit an 11-year high versus the dollar for the second day running on Tuesday and touched a three-month peak on the euro, powered by demand for its relatively lucrative yield.
The dollar slipped to one-month lows against the euro and multi-year lows versus the pound and Australian dollar on Tuesday as markets continued to shrug off a Group of Seven warning against excess currency volatility.
India and China will barter films and explore the distribution and co-production of animation films for children for their respective state-run television channels, an official said Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair will visit Libya "as soon as convenient", Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Tuesday following landmark talks with Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalgham.
Serbia may have to hold new elections if political parties fail to form a coalition government following December's inconclusive parliamentary ballot, speaker Dragan Marsicanin said on Tuesday.
Indian military, which long kept the private sector at arm's length, is now embracing top companies to try to achieve its ambition for a complete and self-reliant national defence.
A top Russian general said on Tuesday that Moscow planned to hold an exercise in April aimed at reassuring its Nato partners that its nuclear arsenals were in safe hands.
The number of hard-core Taleban and al Qaeda guerrillas in Afghanistan has dropped below 1,000 and their strength appears to be waning, Nato's top commander said late on Monday.
Philippine politicians hit the campaign trail with a vengeance on Tuesday, keeping the issues to a minimum and going full blast with theatrics and rhetoric.
Environmental pressure group Greenpeace is increasingly doubtful that Russia, the world's second largest oil exporter, will ratify the Kyoto Protocol aimed at slowing climate change, its chief said.
Britain and China are exchanging police officials to tackle the problem of human trafficking highlighted by the deaths of 19 mainly Chinese migrants in England, a British diplomat said on Tuesday.
Hard-line Hindu groups threatened on Tuesday to blacken the faces of couples celebrating Valentine's Day, saying the Christian saint's day was a violation of Indian culture.
Haitian police took back a city from armed gangs on Monday, delivering the government its first victory in a 5-day-old armed revolt that has presented President Jean-Bertrand Aristide with his most dangerous challenge in months of protests.
Supporters of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist presidential candidate have opened a liaison office in Shanghai, giving party faithful the chance to campaign in mainland China for the first time since 1949.
France, Britain and Germany presented joint proposals on Tuesday for the European Union to create military battle groups for short-notice deployments to crisis spots around the world.