The U.S., China and other major economies may more than double stimulus spending on clean energy next year after holding back most of the money promised for projects, an analyst said.

The nation's largest producer of corn-based ethanol said it has slashed the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs and that it will be able to compete with gasoline in two years.

Switzerland proposed on Wednesday tighter rules to define the "Swiss-made" label as it seeks to protect the country's reputation for quality goods from watches to cheese and penknives.

Wells Fargo & Co. has agreed to buy back US$1.4 billion in securities it sold to thousands of customers, including charities and small businesses, as part of a settlement in a state fraud lawsuit over its role in an investment meltdown.

Global ratings agency Moody's on Wednesday downgraded Swiss banking giant UBS's financial strength, and long-term debt and deposit ratings, citing loss of customer confidence and key employees.

The European Union says 6 million more people in the bloc signed up to broadband Internet access over the last year.

Britain's Times newspaper plans to charge for digital content from next spring, its editor said, two weeks after his boss Rupert Murdoch said such plans may be delayed beyond next June.

eBay founder Pierre Omidyar announced on Wednesday that he was launching an online news service about his adopted home Hawaii.

Midex Airlines, a freight carrier based in the United Arab Emirates, has bought 40 stake in Heuliez Electric, a French maker of electric cars, for US$100 million, the airline said on Wednesday.

Air France-KLM said Wednesday it will cut 1,700 jobs next year after Europe's largest airline posted a bigger than expected net loss for the second quarter.