MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Oil rose in early trade on Wednesday on expectations global oil stocks will fall back to more normal levels this year and as U.S. lawmakers moved closer to approving President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill without Republican support.

(Reuters) - Asian stock markets extended gains on Tuesday on increased optimism about stimulus packages and global economic recovery, while retail investors retreated from GameStop and their new-found interest in silver.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices rose around 1% on Tuesday after major producers showed they were cutting crude output in line with their commitments on restraint, supporting a market thrown out of kilter by weak demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar hovered near a seven-week high on Tuesday, largely benefiting from a euro selloff overnight after coronavirus lockdowns choked consumer spending in Europe’s biggest economy.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Manufacturing in China and Japan suffered in January, while South Korea and Taiwan saw improvement amid a resurgence in coronavirus infections, underscoring the fragile nature of the region’s economic recovery.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s factory activity expanded at the slowest pace in seven months at the start of 2021, weighed down by falling export orders amid a surging global pandemic and rising costs, a business survey showed on Monday.