US Treasury Secretary John Snow on Wednesday bemoaned the "dreadfully murky" US tax code, which he said was acting as a drag on the American economy. Speaking at the first meeting of a bipartisan tax

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A jump in starts on single-family housing pushed total US housing starts to a nearly 21-year high in January, but home mortgage applications dipped last week, according to data reported on Wednesday. US housing starts

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The World Bank said on Wednesday it approved a $100 million transport infrastructure loan to China to help boost trade with Russia and Mongolia. The funds would help finance improvements to transportation systems in Inner

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A deal to ease the EU's budget discipline rules looked within sight on Wednesday as eurozone finance ministers met to alter the regime despite central bank fears that they may make it toothless. "The debate

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The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) on Wednesday raised its forecast for 2005 global oil demand following upward revisions to world economic growth. Opec said it saw world oil demand this year of 83.78

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India's key share index fell for a second day in a row on Wednesday as investors sold select blue chips after a month-long rally that took the benchmark index to a record high earlier this

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Malaysian share prices closed 0.25 percent lower on Wednesday as investors took profits in a rangebound market, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index was down 2.28 points at 919.43. Volume was 485.23 million shares,

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Hong Kong blue chip stocks finished a touch higher on Wednesday as investors were reluctant to stake fresh positions ahead of comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Greenspan kicks off two days of

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US stocks rose on Tuesday, pushing the Dow and S&P 500 to fresh 2005 highs, as retail shares got a boost from better-than-expected January retail sales, while an unsolicited bid for Circuit City Stores Inc

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US Treasury debt prices slipped on Tuesday as January retail sales outside the auto sector jumped and separate data showed a sharp decline in foreign purchases of government debt late last year. The figures reinforced

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