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World Stocks Surge; Dow Breaks All-Time High

World stock markets rose Tuesday as investors applauded China's pledge to stick to economic growth targets for its economy, the world's second largest. Outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao said the government would spend what it needs to meet the target of 7.5 percent enshrined in the latest five-year development plan.

Markets Cautious Ahead of Debt Ceiling Vote

Stock markets traded cautiously on Wednesday ahead of a U.S. vote on raising the nation's borrowing limit temporarily. The House is set to vote on a motion to increase the nation's $16.4 trillion borrowing ceiling for three months.

U.S. Stock Prices Dip Ahead of Earnings Season Kickoff

U.S. stocks fell Tuesday as traders awaited the start of the corporate earnings season. Market-watchers expect the quarter's results could include many surprises because of events like Superstorm Sandy, the presidential election, and the narrowly avoided "fiscal cliff."

Oil Prices Rise as Fiscal Cliff Recession Fears Recede

The price of oil jumped by more than a dollar on Wednesday, to above $93 a barrel, after U.S. lawmakers passed legislation to avoid a fiscal cliff that could have pushed the world's biggest economy into recession, and reduced global demand for energy.

Fiscal Cliff Impasse Pushes World Stock Markets Lower

Fear that congressional Republicans and President Obama will fail to steer the United States away from the fiscal cliff before a January deadline sent world stock markets lower on Wednesday. Britain's FTSE, Germany's DAX, Japan's Nikkei and France's CAC-40 all fell, and on Wall Street, both the Dow and the S&P 500 opened lower.

Markets Nervous as Eurozone Finance Ministers Meet on Greece

Concerns that European finance ministers will again fail to reach an agreement on handing over more bailout cash to Greece weighed on markets Monday. In addition, an election in Spain's Catalonia region that saw separatists gain ground is also adding to global investor worries.

Northeast Air Travel Still Stalled, Thousands of Flights Cancelled

Hurricane Sandy grounded more than 18,000 flights, and it will be days before travel gets back to normal. Authorities closed the three big New York airports, and the ripple effects from the shutdown of the nation's busiest airspace are dramatically affecting travelers in cities far and wide.

Cautious Investors Stay Focused on Europe's Woes

Stock markets in Europe traded in fairly narrow ranges Monday as Germany's leader warned that Greece may not get its next batch of bailout cash. Chinese shares surged after authorities pledged to increase bank lending to entrepreneurs. Europe's stumbling efforts to get a handle on its debt crisis remains the focus of interest in the markets.

E-Book Soundtracks: The Next Revolution in Reading?

New startup Booktracks is creating soundtracks for e-books with technology that tracks your reading speed and syncs the sound perfectly to the text. The company promises it will revolutionize reading, and authors like Salman Rushdie and Jay McInerney are giving it a try. But do books really need a Hollywood makeover?

The 10 Cities With the World's Worst Air

With the latest round of global climate change talks set to begin this week in Cancun, Mexico, the assembled delegates should be thankful they're not meeting in, say, Beijing or New Delhi. Those two cities are tied at the top of a list no city should want to be on: those with the world's most dangerous air.

Chinese Building Boom and U.S. Optimism Boost Asian Shares

A building boom -- and the constrained supply of materials due to mandated energy cuts -- sent Chinese cement, metal and building-equipment stocks up Thursday. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Japanese exporters benefited from improving consumer sentiment and falling unemployment in the U.S.