‘Beijing’ the Chinese Olympic Committee tells us, ‘is about to show the world a grand picture of "peace, friendship, and progress of mankind" and to strike up the passionate movement of "faster, higher, and stronger" for mankind’. Indeed, the upcoming Olympic Games are meant to celebrate the emergence of the new China, and the energy and dynamism of its 1.3 billion people.

Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries - during the time of the Crusades –ceramic vessels reached Acre from: Mediterranean regions, the Levant, Europe, North Africa, and even China – reveals new research, which examined trade of ceramic vessels, conducted at the University of Haifa.

A coffee producer with the fairtrade Soppexxa Coffee Cooperative in Jinotega, Nicaragua, is to visit the University next week as part of national Fairtrade Fortnight.

The University is encouraging members of staff and students to take part in ‘Fairtrade Fortnight’ (25 February - 9 March).

French banking giant Societe Generale says a futures trader has defrauded it of over $7 billion in one of the biggest financial frauds in history.

The latest trades report from the Housing Industry Association (HIA) has shown another decline in the number tradespeople available to build houses.

Leaders of China and the European Union are to open a summit Wednesday in Beijing. The EU's growing trade deficit with China and the safety of Chinese imports are issues that are likely to dominate the talks.

Chinese spying in the U.S. represents the greatest threat to U.S. technology, a congressional advisory panel said Thursday and recommended to consider counterintelligence efforts meant to stop China from stealing U.S. manufacturing expertise.

Sino-US trade relations are increasingly troubled by America’s concerns over China’s trade practices that result in the mounting imbalance in bilateral trade and US suffering huge trade deficits.

Toshiba officials said Wednesday it's selling its building in Tokyo's plush Ginza district for 161 billion yen (US$1.4 million; EUR1 million) to concentrate on its core electronics businesses.

Leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are heading home after a summit in Australia. The United States, China and Russia, and many Asian and South American economies, called for fresh efforts to save the Doha Round of trade talks, and to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in Uruguay as part of a regional tour aimed at helping his country's bid for admission to the South American trade bloc Mercosur.