HONG KONG, May 7 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong stocks fell 549.35 points, or 2.61 percent, at 20,536.65 on Monday.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 20,477.86 and 20, 674.45. Turnover totaled 61.14 billion HK dollars (about 7.88 billion U.S. dollars). (1 U.S. dollar = 7.763 HK dollars)

SINGAPORE, May 7 (Xinhua) — The Singapore stock market finished lower on Monday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index down 65.64 points, or 2.19 percent, to close at 2,924.95.

A total of 2.44 billion shares changed hands with turnover of 1.38 billion Singapore dollars (1.11 billion U.S. dollars).

Losers outnumbered gainers 370 to 61, while 348 others finished unchanged.
The STI index fell 10.35 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at …

TOKYO, May 7 (Xinhua) — Nikkei opened sharply lower, hit a three-month low point on Monday morning on political uncertainties in Europe.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 229.86 points, or 2.45 percent, from Wednesday to 9,150.39, its lowest intraday mark since Feb. 15, when it hit 9, 107.68.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 18.56 points, or 2.34 percent, to 774.31.

WASHINGTON,– Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the April 2012 Employment Situation report released today:

“Our nation’s labor market added 130,000 private sector jobs in the month of April, while the unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, its lowest level in three years.

“Over the last four months, we’ve added an average of 207,000 private sector jobs. Significantly, the labor market added 53,000 more private sector jobs in February and March than previously had been reported.

“I would characterize our growth as durable …

HONG KONG, (Xinhua) — The following are foreign exchange rates against Hong Kong dollar released by the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited on Saturday:

Buying                  Selling

Japanese yen        967.80              972.80
Swiss franc            842.40              848.10
British pound        1,249.20           1,258.60
Australian dollar   789.90             …

image from china.cn

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) — The China Postal Express and Logistics Co., the country’s largest courier service, has received regulatory approval for an initial public offering in Shanghai.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has authorized the sale, according to a statement posted on the company’s website on Saturday, without providing details on when the IPO will take place.

The logistics company plans to issue up …

ROCKLEIGH, N.J. – Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, (VCNA) reported U.S. sales of 4,847 units, a 24.3 percent decrease from April 2011. Year-to-date sales are down 2.7 percent over the first four months of 2011.

The top seller for the month was the award-winning S60 sports sedan with 1,732 units sold, followed by the XC60 with 1,261 units sold.
New Volvo buyers benefit from Volvo’s Safe + Secure Coverage Plan. A complimentary program, Safe + Secure wraps a …

MANILA, May 1 (Xinhua) — Tens of thousands of Filipios took to the streets to stage protest parades in Metro Manila as well as many other cities in the country on the Labor Day to demand a minimum wage hike and oppose U.S. military presence.

According to government estimates, 30,000 demonstrators including workers, farmers and students, marched in various sites in Metro Manila on the Labor Day, voicing their grievance against worsening hunger and poverty.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed …

SAO PAULO, – Companhia de Bebidas das Américas – Ambev [BOVESPA: AMBV4, AMBV3; and NYSE: ABV, ABVc] announces today its results for the 2012 first quarter (Q1 2012). The following financial and operating information, unless otherwise indicated, is presented in nominal Reais and prepared in accordance with International Financial and Reporting Standards (IFRS), and should be read in conjunction with our quarterly  financial information for the three months period ended March 31, 2012 filed with the CVM and submitted to the SEC.

OPERATING …

NEW YORK, April 30 (Xinhua) — One World Trade Center has become the tallest building in New York City on Monday, overtaking the height of the Empire State Building, according to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

The placement of a column of the 100th floor brought the colossal new steel structure of One World Trade Center tower to a height of 1,271 feet – surpassing the frame of the Empire State Building, which was New York’s tallest …