Alibaba Seeking $3 Billion Loan to Buy Back Yahoo StakeChinese Internet giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is in the process of raising a US$3 billion loan from around six banks to buy back the stake that Yahoo Inc. owns in the company, people familiar with the situation said Thursday.
Chongqing Drama Ignites SpeculationThe sudden "sick leave" taken by Wang Lijun, the former police chief of the Chinese city of Chongqing, fueled rumors that he had sought political asylum with the U.S. a day earlier.
China's Inflation Rises Faster Than ExpectedChina's consumer price index rose 4.5% in January from a year earlier, faster than the 4.1% rise in December, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.
China's Heir Apparent Plans U.S. VisitChinese Vice President Xi Jinping, expected to become China's next leader, is scheduled to visit the Pentagon next week as part of a high-profile trip to the U.S., a U.S. official said Wednesday.
Indonesia Steps on the GasGM, Toyota, Tata and other global car makers are in the middle of an expansion spree in Indonesia, battling for a piece of the world's next auto hub.
Ground Shifts Again for RepublicansBruising defeats in three battleground states Tuesday have exposed lingering weaknesses in Mitt Romney's standing with conservatives.
Indonesia Cuts Interest Rate to Record LowCiting benign inflation and the need to spur growth amid a global economic slowdown, Bank Indonesia cut its overnight benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to 5.75%.
China to Bring Back Government-Bond FuturesChina is on track to reintroduce government bond futures, a major financial derivatives instrument banned 17 years ago after a notorious trading scandal.
India Trade Gap WidensIndia's trade deficit in January widened to $14.7 billion from December's $12.7 billion after narrowing in the previous two months, as imports rose at double the pace of export growth.
Greek Deal Remains ElusiveGreek political leaders have ended their meeting after seven-and-a-half hours without an agreement on austerity proposals.
China Inflation Dogs Asia MarketsMost Asian stock markets were lower as accelerating inflation in China eroded expectations of near-term stimulus from Beijing. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was down 0.5%.
Banks Near $25 Billion Pact on ForeclosuresGovernment officials are on the verge of an agreement worth as much as $25 billion with five major banks, capping a yearlong push to settle federal and state probes of alleged foreclosure abuses by lenders.
Foreign Deal on Tax DodgingThe Treasury Department and the governments of five European nations reached broad agreement Wednesday on a proposal to prevent U.S. taxpayers from dodging taxes through foreign accounts.
U.S. Plans to Sue Banks Over BondsFederal securities regulators plan to warn several major banks that they intend to sue them over mortgage-related actions linked to the financial crisis.
Diamond Ousts Top ExecutivesDiamond removed two top executives and said it would restate two years worth of financial results, after an internal probe found it had wrongly accounted for payments to walnut growers.
Yahoo: Less Show, More SellYahoo's new CEO Scott Thompson aims to turn around the Internet company at least in part by making it less dependent on its core online-ad business.
Barneys Hires AdvisersBarneys New York Inc. has hired bankruptcy and restructuring counsel, as the swanky retailer grapples with debts coming due later this year.
A Bet on Message, Not MoneyAfter Rick Santorum won in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri Tuesday night, the question remains: Can a senator voted out of office almost six years ago wage a national contest against better-known rivals with bigger donors?
U.S., Japan Scale Back Plan to Move BaseThe U.S. and Japanese governments are scaling back a controversial plan to relocate American military forces in Japan, bowing to intense local opposition and underscoring the inability of Japan's leadership to fulfill policy pledges.
New Zealand: Collapsed Building Was SubstandardThe CTV Building in Christchurch, whose collapse following an earthquake a year ago killed 115 people, didn't meet building standards in place when it went up in 1986, New Zealand officials said.
Lenovo Net Profit Surges 54%Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group said its third-quarter net profit rose 54% from a year earlier, but warned that it expects a global hard disk drive shortage to continue into the next quarter, potentially impacting its margins.
A 'Port' out of the NormColumnist Walt Mossberg reviews a special flash drive that can transfer and stream files to popular mobile devices without standard USB ports.
Meet Jeremy Lin, the New Tim TebowTebowmania? That was so 2011. It's time for a new cult-hero phenomenon: Linsanity.
Wales Unleashes Its BehemothsScotland must figure a way to counter the six nations' biggest back line.
In Small California Hospitals, the Marketing of Back SurgeryThe volume of spine surgery, which is an increasing cost in the U.S. health system, rose sharply at two small California hospitals that focused on workers' compensation patients and used a marketing consultant who helped bring doctors to the hospitals.
Memory Gets Jolt in Brain ResearchAn electrical brain-stimulation technique appears to enhance human memory, according to a tiny but intriguing new study that bolsters hope for one day developing a nondrug treatment for memory problems, including ailments like Alzheimer's.
Lady Gaga Names Asia Tour DatesLady Gaga is kicking off her "Born This Way Ball" world tour in Asia, with stops in South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand beginning in April.
Is Chevy's Cruze Dulling the Spark of its Volt?The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is about to get a relaunch from General Motors, after skidding halfway to Flop City over the past several months.
Why Macau Tourists Didn't Flip for Cirque du SoleilNow that Cirque du Soleil has said it's shuttering its Zaia show in Macau, the question is: How can this gambling mecca broaden its appeal if it can't hold on to an established entertainment brand that's successful in the West?
Neighbors Try to Decide if They Like Facebook Exec's Modern HouseFacebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's house under construction in Menlo Park, with its futuristic glass and steel exterior, will mark a dramatic contrast to the traditional shingled ranch homes and Spanish villas nearby.
Travel Priorities: Light Bags, In-Flight PrivacyDesigner Michael Young on Shanghai hotels, Cathay's color scheme and the importance of "privacy without claustrophobia."
