KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.2 percent to 20,459.92 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.2 percent to 28,320.68. The Shanghai Composite rose 0.6 percent to 4,840.12; the index is up 140 percent over the past year. Australia's S&P ASX/200 climbed 0.6 percent to 5,758.40, but South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.1 percent to 2,143.46. Shares in New Zealand rose and Southeast Asian shares were mixed.
CHINA BOOST: China's economic planning agency announced Monday that it wanted to attract private investment to more than 1,000 local public-private projects for ports and other transport facilities, the environment, and public services.
Altogether, the projects could be worth 2 trillion yuan ($318 billion). The government also announced it would halve import taxes on clothing, cosmetics and some other goods by half in a new tactic to spur consumer spending and economic growth.
Himalaya Airlines launches direct flights from Kathmandu to Sha...
THE QUOTE: "Of course we can see the Chinese government is doing many things to stimulate real demand," said Linus Yip, a strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong. "Some macroeconomic indicators are not doing so well right now, so the market is trading on expectations."
GREEK DEBT: Worries persist that Greece might miss looming IMF repayments if it fails to receive bailout payments from creditors demanding it outline reforms and promise to meet cost-cutting targets. Athens is struggling to achieve greater austerity and clean up its finances without risking a relapse into recession.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. oil rose 15 cents to $59.87 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract shed $1 on Friday to $59.72. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 10 cents to $65.62 per barrel.
CURRENCIES: The dollar gained to 121.85 yen from Monday's 121.55 yen. The euro fell to $1.0939 from $1.0980.
