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PetroChina Co. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc deepened their collaboration in exploring unconventional gas resources with the Chinese company investing in a Canadian project and the European oil producer pledging to help it step up drilling to tap shale reserves in the second-largest economy.

Bank of China Ltd. led Chinese banking shares higher in Hong Kong after their state-backed shareholder allowed the nation’s biggest lenders to cut dividend payouts, shoring up capital while avoiding share sales.

Tudou Holdings Ltd. surged the most ever in New York, driving an index of U.S.-traded Chinese stocks to a seventh weekly gain, after the company announced an improved video platform with Weibo, a Twitter-like service with 250 million users.

The spending cuts that helped the U.K. preserve its AAA credit rating last year and bolstered the pound are now weighing on the currency as investors lose confidence that Prime Minister David Cameron will revive economic growth.

Speculators raised bullish bets on commodities to a 12-week high on signs that global growth will boost demand at a time when shortages are forecast for everything from copper to palladium to cocoa.

R. Allen Stanford’s ex-finance chief testified that the financier funneled millions of dollars siphoned from investor deposits through a “slush fund” at Societe Generale SA in Switzerland to cover bribes, personal expenses and private investments.

Central bankers in Africa’s biggest economies are admonishing their governments as spending plans subvert the power of monetary policy and threaten to quicken inflation at a time when Europe slips into a recession.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index's best start in 25 years is doing little to restore Americans' confidence in the stock market

China’s economic expansion would be cut almost in half if Europe’s debt crisis worsens, a scenario that would warrant “significant” fiscal stimulus from the nation’s government, the International Monetary Fund said.

European leaders maintained pressure on Greece to accept terms demanded by international lenders during a weekend of talks to avert a financial collapse.

Facebook Inc., the social-networking company that’s preparing for an initial public offering, had a valuation of at least $94 billion yesterday in an auction of its shares on the private market.

The U.S. government said the online hacker group Anonymous intercepted a telephone call between FBI agents and U.K. authorities involving a joint investigation of the group.

KT Corp., South Korea’s largest phone and Internet company, reported a 13 percent increase in fourth- quarter profit as a one-time gain masked higher costs and falling sales from phone calls.

Chinese shoppers on their Lunar New Year holiday were less lavish than expected at Hong Kong jewelers, curbed spending on beauty brands and slowed spending at South Korean stores. They may keep that pace in the coming year of the dragon.

Companies are scrambling to handle a torrent of data, pushing them into bigger M&A frenzy since 2007

Qantas Airways Ltd. would have to cut jobs, cancel routes and even sell off its budget division Jetstar if laws affecting the airline are changed, said Alan Joyce, chief executive officer of Australia’s largest carrier.

Asian stocks extended last week’s rally as consumer companies led gains after higher-than-expected U.S. jobs growth. The euro weakened against most of its 16 major peers as Greek leaders worked on a funding agreement.

Bank of China Ltd. led Chinese banking shares higher in Hong Kong after their state-backed shareholder allowed the nation’s biggest lenders to cut dividend payouts, shoring up capital while avoiding share sales.

China banned airlines from taking part in a European Union carbon-emissions system designed to curb pollution, saying the program violates international rules.

Indonesia’s economy grew last year at the fastest pace since before the Asian financial crisis as rising investment and domestic spending countered a slowdown in export demand due to Europe’s debt crisis.