Stock markets rallied around the world on Tuesday while the U.S. dollar fell after the new Greek government dropped calls for a write-down of its foreign debt, easing concerns about growing instability in the euro zone.

• February 3, 2015

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) signed a deal with Iraq on Wednesday worth $11 billion to build a petrochemicals plant in the southern oil hub of Basra, boosting the country's aim to become a major regional energy player and diversify its income.

• January 28, 2015

China called on India on Monday to take more steps to satisfy the standards of a global organization that controls atomic exports after U.S. President Barack Obama said the United States was in favor of India joining the group.

• January 26, 2015

Oil fell as much as 5 percent on Tuesday after the International Monetary Fund cut its 2015 global economic forecast on lower fuel demand and key producer Iran hinted prices could drop to $25 a barrel without supportive OPEC action.

• January 20, 2015

Brent crude oil prices fell below $50 a barrel on Monday after the global economic outlook darkened and Iraq announced record oil production.

• January 19, 2015

Oil prices slid on Tuesday to their lowest in almost six years, but European shares rose as investors focused on expectations that policymakers would soon take action to prevent the euro zone slipping into deflation.

• January 13, 2015

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf OPEC allies are showing no sign of considering cutting output to boost oil prices, even though they dipped below $50 a barrel this week.

• January 8, 2015

Russia's 2014 oil output hit a post-Soviet record high average of 10.58 million barrels per day (bpd), rising by 0.7 percent helped by small non-state producers, Energy Ministry data showed on Friday.

• January 2, 2015