A consortium comprising French, South Korean and Chinese companies has won a contract for a liquefied natural gas project in Canada, the French partner Technip said on Wednesday.

Europe's main stock markets fell on Wednesday, with London and sterling in focus following Bank of England minutes and mixed British data, and ahead of key testimony by U.S. Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke later in the day.

The yen edged down against the dollar and euro in Asia on Wednesday after Japan posted its worst ever April trade deficit, fueling yen-negative sentiment.

The price of oil fell Wednesday as investors waited for a report on U.S. crude stocks and the Federal Reserve's latest views on the U.S. economy.

Many flat panel module makers which specifically target North American markets are apparently pulling in orders as mobile phone panel supply remains tight this month, while the prices of flat panels for most other applications are expected to be stable in May.

Markets were fairly choppy Tuesday as investors were reluctant to push stock indexes up further ahead of a much-anticipated statement from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

The dollar turned higher against the yen in Asia on Tuesday as investors waited for testimony by the U.S. central bank chief and the outcome of a policy meeting of the Japanese central bank.

The price of oil retreated toward US$96 per barrel Tuesday as investors waited for the Federal Reserve's latest views on the U.S. economy.

Global branded tablet computer shipments will continue to rise in the second quarter of the year amid growing popularity, according to a local research firm.

Swedish fashion giant H&M is considering starting production in South America and Africa, chief executive Karl-Johan Persson told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday.