Reuters - Oil prices rose more than $1.50 a barrel on Wednesday after Iran tested long- and medium-range missiles, but crude remained far from its recent record highs, boosting global equities.

Reuters - Oil rose $2 to near $138 a barrel on Wednesday, partly recouping a $5 drop in the previous session, after Iran said it had test-fired missiles that could reach Israel and U.S. bases in the region.

Reuters - WPP Group , the world's second-largest advertising company made a hostile 1.08 billion pound ($2.13 billion) bid for Britain's Taylor Nelson Sofres , challenging its agreed merger with GfK Holdings AG .

Reuters - Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc on Tuesday posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, lifting its shares, as higher aluminum prices and sales volumes offset increased costs.

Reuters - Advertising revenue from YouTube is likely to total about $200 million this year and thus fall short of parent company Google Inc's

AFP - Japan's core machinery orders were unexpectedly strong in May but experts warned the official figures released on Wednesday had failed to dispel gloom about prospects for Asia's largest economy.

Reuters - JP Morgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said U.S. regulators should investigate whether people betting on Bear Stearns' stock falling deliberately brought down the investment bank.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday the U.S. central bank might keep open a lifeline to financial firms, while the latest data showed distress in the housing and retail sectors continues.