Despite the breakout of bird flu and the financial crisis last year, we persisted in building the factory, reflecting our firm confidence in the domestic market, said Rong Yaozhong, founder and general manager of Shanghai Totole Food.

There are already signs that the recent bout of cold is losing its power over energy prices. Most meteorologists see temperatures moderating for the rest of the month.

A federal judge in Dallas said he will consider a modest request for money to pay lawyers and accountants to look through R. Allen Stanford's personal assets to find money untainted by an alleged US$7 billion fraud.

An SFC investigation revealed that Julius Baer, when detected between October 2006 and July 2008, also failed to conduct an annual confirmation as to whether its clients continued to fulfill the professional investor requirements; and to maintain adequate written records of its investment advice given to clients.

THE National Development and Reform Commission said on Saturday it would raise the minimum state purchasing prices for rice in major rice-producing areas by up to 10.5 percent in 2010. The move was to encourage farmers to boost grain output and help prices rise, it said.