(Reuters) - Canada insisted on Tuesday it made no decision on BHP's $39 billion offer to buy Potash Corp, even as two newspapers reported that bureaucrats were advising that the bid should go ahead and rumors swirled in the markets that Ottawa would block a deal. BHP Billiton shares rose 2.2 percent in London, with traders citing market talk that Canada's federal government would reject its bid for Potash, the world's largest fertilizer supplier. Potash shares trimmed overnight gains.

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(Reuters) - U.S. stocks kicked off a new month with strong gains on Monday after data showed strength in industrial activity in the United States and China, fueling risk appetite. The Dow and Nasdaq indexes rose about 1 percent after the pace of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector quickened unexpectedly in October, while construction spending rose unexpectedly in September.

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(Reuters) - Manufacturing growth in China and India powered ahead last month and UK industry also picked up steam, data showed on Monday, countering sluggishness in the U.S. economy and a faltering Japanese recovery. Two surveys of Chinese executives showed broad-based strength in the manufacturing sector of the world's second-largest economy and helped boost Asian shares outside Japan by two percent.

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(Reuters) - China's factories ramped up their production last month and were buoyed by an influx of new business, highlighting the strength of the world's second-largest economy but also pointing to price pressures. Two surveys of the manufacturing sector, which are designed to provide an early indication of conditions in a broad range of industries, both jumped to six-month highs in October.

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(Reuters) - U.S. consumer spending rose less than expected in September as income fell for the first in more than a year, while inflation remained muted, reinforcing views the Federal Reserve will further ease monetary policy. The data was among the last batch before the Fed's policymakers gather on Tuesday and Wednesday to assess the economy and its stuttering recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

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(Reuters) - BHP Billiton feels no pressure to raise its $39 billion offer for Potash Corp since no rival has emerged, and is focused on clearing three hurdles, a person familiar with the situation said. The Sunday Times newspaper in London reported BHP planned to sweeten its offer for the world's biggest fertilizer maker by 10 percent, citing sources close to the situation.

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(Reuters) - Bailed-out insurer AIG (AIG.N) raised $27.71 billion cash in 10 days with the initial public offering of its Asian life business AIA (1299.HK) and the sale of its global life unit Alico, enough to repay a credit facility from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. American International Group said on Monday it closed the sale of Alico to MetLife Inc (MET.N) for $16.2 billion, of which $7.2 billion was cash. That followed the October 22 sale of shares in AIA and the October 29 exercise of the over-allotment option on the sale, for gross proceeds of $20.51 billion.

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(Reuters) - Google's Android software platform rose to No. 2 spot globally on the booming smartphone market in the third quarter, research firm Canalys said on Monday. Nokia's Symbian continued to lead the market with a 37 percent share, while Android had 17 percent of the market. It has surpassed Research In Motion, Apple and Microsoft this year.

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(Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Friday as investors continued to assess prospects for monetary stimulus by the U.S. Federal Reserve, with a report showing modest economic growth limiting declines. Market action this week has been dictated by expectations the Fed will announce another round of quantitative easing next week. Analysts said the gross domestic product report was positive and in-line with expectations, but took a backseat to stimulus speculation.

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(Reuters) - U.S. economic growth edged up as expected in the third quarter but not enough to chip away at high unemployment or change perceptions of more monetary easing from the Federal Reserve next week. Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.0 percent annual rate as consumer spending rose at its fastest pace since 2006, the Commerce Department said on Friday.

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