China's manufacturing activity fell to a nine-month low in August, a survey showed Thursday, stepping up pressure on Beijing for more interest rate cuts and stimulus measures to revive growth in the world's second-largest economy.

HSBC Corp. said a preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers' index fell to 47.8 from July's 49.3 on a 100-point scale where numbers below 50 indicate a contraction. It said one component, new export orders, fell at its fastest rate in three years.

Asian shares were slightly up Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve indicated it was leaning towards new economic stimulus efforts and manufacturing data suggested China may take similar measures.

Hopes for fresh stimulus boosts in the world's two biggest economies rallied markets after Greece called on Wednesday for more time to make spending cuts, sending European shares down, and Wall Street saw little movement overnight.

In a new step confirming its commitment to innovating proactive services and offers in the Lebanese mobile market, Alfa, the first Lebanese mobile network managed by Orascom Telecom, has launched the new Midline plan for postpaid subscribers offering them two bundles for $35 & $60 respectively.

Each bundle is associated with new and innovative features, noting that Alfa will be offering through the $60 Midline bundle and for the first time communication and texting services with a free monthly subscription.

Russia's agriculture minister on Thursday lowered the country's grain output forecast to 75 million tons after already reducing 2012 expectations because of drought conditions in farming regions.

The announcement by the world's third-largest wheat exporter comes amid spiraling global food prices and efforts by developed nations to stabilise the market so that poorer countries in regions such as Africa are not affected too severely.

Russia on Wednesday crowned a tortuous 18-year campaign by becoming the largest country outside the World Trade Organization (WTO) to formally join the world's premier free trade club.

The Geneva-based institution's 156th member had spent years harboring deep suspicions about what a flood of better Western products and services might do to the country's fitful recover from its late Soviet malaise.

Heineken NV continued to inch toward a takeover of Tiger beer maker Asian Pacific Breweries on Wednesday, revealing that it has purchased a 2.68 percent stake in the company for around $290 million, even as it struggles to buy a much larger, controlling stake, from Singapore's Fraser and Neave for $4.7 billion.

The news comes on the same morning Heineken reported weak first-half earnings, with margins hurt by rising costs, although the company did report an increase in sales and market share.

U.S. officials are investigating possible violations of sanctions against Iran by Royal Bank of Scotland, Britain's Financial Times reports.

The bank declined to comment on Wednesday's report except to repeat previous disclosures that it is in contact with U.S. and British authorities "to discuss its historical compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. economic sanctions regulations."

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said his country needs more time to effectively implement financial reforms and spending cuts, as eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker heads to Athens for the first of Samaras' top-level meetings on his country's international bailout.

Juncker arrives in Athens Wednesday afternoon for talks with Samaras and his finance minister, Yannis Stournaras.

Japan Tobacco said Wednesday it was being probed by the European Union after a report it broke sanctions by shipping cigarettes to a firm linked to the Syrian regime, but denied any wrongdoing.

Japan Tobacco (JT), which is 50 percent owned by the government, insisted its Geneva-based subsidiary JT International (JTI) had done nothing wrong amid claims it supplied a firm with family links to President Bashar Assad.

Finnish President Sauli Niinistoe said Tuesday that leaving the Eurozone would not help resolve the economic crisis plaguing the 17-member bloc.

"There is no fast and easy solution for the European crisis. Or, at least, I'm not able to come up with one," Niinistoe said in a speech delivered to an annual ambassadors meeting in Helsinki.