Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd. was toppled as India's most valuable company for the first time in four years by Coal India Ltd. as demand for the fuel attracted investors. Coal India, the world's biggest producer.

• August 18, 2011

Russia pitched Wednesday a proposal to Iran's foreign minister which it hopes could bring a breakthrough in a confrontation over Tehran's nuclear program, despite doubts in the West that the plan can make much headway.

• August 18, 2011

Russian company Atomstroyexport, the contractor on Bulgaria's nuclear power project at Belene, is yet to say whether it has dropped its 58 million euro suit against electricity utility NEK, filed in July in the International Court of Arbitration in Paris.

• August 18, 2011

Due to Iceland’s unique geology, which includes a high concentration of volcanoes, five major geothermal power plants produce approximately 26.2 percent of the nation's energy, while geothermal heating provides for the heating and hot water requirements of approximately 87 percent of all buildings in Iceland.

• August 18, 2011

On World Humanitarian Day the Emergency Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will sign the Agreement on the establishment of a Central Asian Center for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction.
The official signing ceremony will be attended by high-level representatives of UN Agencies, other international organizations, European and Asian embassies as well as the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department.

• August 18, 2011

Hong Kong shares climbed early Wednesday as heavyweights HSBC Holdings PLC and Chinese lenders advanced despite weak overseas cues on more bargain-buying and as China Coal Energy Co. jumped after better-than-expected results.

• August 17, 2011

Mining heavyweight Coal India overtook energy giant Reliance Industries on Wednesday to become India's biggest firm by market value, reflecting strong coal demand to power an expanding economy.

• August 17, 2011

Russia and Iran on Wednesday said a new Russian plan had a real chance of solving the standoff over the Iranian nuclear drive, despite the failure of past initiatives to end a decade of deadlock.

• August 17, 2011