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• Jack Ma to Stand Down as Alibaba CEO, Take Back Seat

  

  One of China's best known corporate leaders, Jack Ma, will step down as CEO of Alibaba Group, the e-commerce firm he founded in 1999 to tap the nation's enormous online shopping potential, saying younger people are better placed to run the company.

• Miners in Mali Dodge Conflict, Risks 'Manageable' for Now

  

  Conflict in the West African state of Mali -- the continent's third-largest gold producer -- poses "manageable" risks for miners active in the country's south as Al Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels remain confined to strongholds in the north while former colonial power France continues its offensive against militant bases.

• Yen Rebounds After Minister Warns of Excessive Weakness

  

  The yen rebounded from a 2-1/2-year low on Tuesday after Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari's remarks that excessive yen weakness could have a negative impact on the country sparked profit-taking in heavy bets against the Japanese currency.

• To Get Movies Into China, Hollywood Gives Censors a Preview

  

  Eager to tap China’s movie market, Hollywood studios try to win censors’ approval — taking on Chinese partners, tweaking story lines and, when filming in China, inviting bureaucrats to the set. The New York Times reports.

• Rio Tinto Output Tops Forecast on Resurgent China

  

  Rio Tinto said on Tuesday its iron ore production beat its own guidance to hit 253 million tons in 2012, as the miner cashes in on resurgent Chinese demand that has driven up prices in recent months.

• You Just Can’t Keep This Currency Down

  

  Forget a weakening economy and the prospect of further monetary easing. Here's what will keep the Aussie dollar robust in the months ahead - a rebound in commodity prices and even lower interest rates among the world's big economies.

• Flashing Plastic in Myanmar 

  

  Ann Cairns, President of International Markets, MasterCard explains how MasterCard is doing business in Myanmar. She adds that much remains to be done to move away from being a cash-based economy.

• China Hints at Far Wider Welcome to Overseas Investors

  

  In what would be a drastic liberalization of China's huge but still cloistered capital markets, the country's top securities regulator said Monday that foreign investment could be allowed to rise as much as tenfold. The NYT reports.

• China Lets Media Report on Air Pollution Crisis

  

  The Chinese state news media on Monday published aggressive reports on what they described as the sickening and dangerous air pollution in Beijing and other parts of northern China, revealing the rising popular anger over air quality. The New York Times reports.

• Tapping Prudential's 'Sweet Spot': CEO 

  

  Barry Stowe, CEO, Asia, Prudential explains why his firm is focusing its efforts on Cambodia. He discusses the opportunities that Southeast Asia presents to Prudential.

• South Korea Stands to Gain as 'Abenomics' Hits Yen

  

  Japan's drive to weaken the yen poses a threat to big South Korean exporters such as Hyundai Motor, but the new government in Seoul may not want to do too much about it - a firming won could actually make the economy stronger.

• Billabong Shares Surge After Second Takeover Bid

  

  Shares in Australia's Billabong International surged more than 12 percent on Tuesday after the struggling surfwear company received a second takeover proposal.

• 10 Mega-Trends for 2013

  

  Projecting trends is precarious business. But there are a lot of likelihoods for 2013. The economy is expected to grow, new technology releases will change consumer behavior, and demographic shifts will hit tipping points. Here are predictions for 2013.

• Breathing In China's Hazardous Air  

  

  Chinese media on Monday called on the government to improve air quality, days after the Beijing's pollution index went off the charts. CNBC's China correspondent Eunice Yoon reports from the Chinese capital.

• Toyota Regains Crown as Top-Selling Automaker

  

  Toyota has dethroned General Motors as the world's top-selling automaker. The Japanese company sold 9.7 million cars and trucks worldwide in 2012, although it's still counting. GM sold 9.29 million. Both companies saw higher sales.

• Bakries May Scrap Bumi Exit Plan if Rothschild Returns

  

  Indonesia's influential Bakrie family warned on Monday that it could rethink its proposed exit from Bumi, a coal venture it co-founded with Nat Rothschild, if the financier pursues a planned return to the board.

• Chinese Companies Retreat From US Listings as Scrutiny Mounts

  

  Chinese companies are deserting U.S. stock markets in record numbers as regulatory scrutiny mounts and the advantages of a U.S. listing slip away. U.S. government investigations of suspect financial reports and battered share prices have for many Chinese companies wrecked the chances of raising new money in the United States.

• India's Army Chief Turns Up Heat on Pakistan, Says Can Retaliate

  

  India's army chief accused Pakistan on Monday of detailed planning of an attack along Kashmir's de facto border last week in which two soldiers were killed and said India reserved the right to retaliate.

• India Inflation Turns a Corner, Rupee to Benefit

  

  Inflation appears to have finally turned a corner in India, and a big beneficiary could be the rupee. Find out why.

• China's Sovereign Wealth Fund in Big 2012 Turnaround

  

  China Investment Corporation (CIC), the world's biggest sovereign wealth investor said 2012 was a much better year for the $482-billion fund, with returns of over 10 percent.