LONDON (AFP) - Asian and European stocks rose on Wednesday, lifted by bargain-hunting and upbeat data, as dealers set aside Wall Street's worst August performance in nine years amid stubborn US recovery doubts.

US Congressman Barney Frank tells Stephen Sackur why he thinks Democrats are suffering in the polls ahead of the mid-term elections.

LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks kicked off September on a stronger note on Wednesday as data showed a manufacturing rebound in China and stronger-than-expected growth in Australia, while the yen held near recent 15-year peaks against the dollar.

A team of divers has begun to salvage dozens of bottles, of what is thought to be the world's oldest champagne, from a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea.

The government is creating cash incentives for people who generate their own power.

Guy Parker: Bad advertisers will be named and shames online if they do not comply with the codes of conduct

Mobile firm Orange is rolling out High Definition (HD) technology which it says offers higher quality voice calls.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve would need to consider further support for the economy if the outlook weakened "appreciably," according to minutes of the central bank's August 10 policy-setting meeting.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe's banks willingly accepted lower returns from the European Central Bank on their cash on Tuesday, highlighting the appeal of the ECB's safe-haven status amid ongoing money market tensions.

LONDON (Reuters) - Leading investors around the world barely changed their exposure to assets in August, trimming equities slightly in favour of bonds, where they loaded up on top-notch corporates, Reuters polls showed on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone inflation slowed in August, pointing to steady interest rates well into 2011, but unemployment remains high and uneven across the region, underlining the two-speed recovery, data showed on Tuesday.

One community that has seen first hand the effects of expansion is Mumbai's fishermen.

Ryanair is ceasing services from Belfast City Airport from 31 October, the airline has announced.

The BBC looks at what the affect of Cadbury's only using Fairtrade cocoa to make its Dairy Milk bars has meant for cocoa farmers in Ghana.

LONDON (AFP) - World stock markets sank heavily on Tuesday as investors shunned risky assets amid renewed fears over the United States economy, while Tokyo also dived on concern over the soaring yen, dealers said.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone inflation slowed in August, pointing to steady interest rates well into 2011, but unemployment remains high and uneven across the region, underlining the two-speed recovery, data showed on Tuesday.

HONG KONG (AFP) - Japan's multi-billion-dollar plans to boost its economy and rein in the yen were shrugged off Tuesday as a fresh set of poor data out of the US weighed on Asian markets.

LONDON (AFP) - World stock markets sank heavily on Tuesday as investors shunned risky assets amid renewed fears over the United States economy, while Tokyo also dived on concern over the soaring yen, dealers said.

Tatarstan has discovered a new money-making opportunity: providing services to its Muslim community.

According to a Russian government official about one fourth of the 900,000 people in Russian jails are accountants, entrepreneurs, legal advisers or mid-level managers.