Singapore - Singapore is launching a mercantile exchange to facilitate the trading of commodity derivatives in the Asia time zone, a financial market conference was told on Wednesday.

The Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) will offer trading in metals, base metals, energy, agricultural goods, currency pairs, carbon credits and commodity indices, said Ministry of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang.

It will be the first in Asia to offer such a diversified range of products on a single platform, analysts said.

SMX is backed by India-based Financial Technologies.

Lim said the involvement of Financial Technologies, which operates seven exchanges, "underscores Singapore's position as a key commodities trading hub."

New Delhi - India's benchmark Sensex posted a substantial gain of 4.3 per cent in early trade Wednesday on funds and investors buying in blue-chip stocks.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened hi

New York - US stock indices recorded

The 30-share benchmark index, Sensex continued to trade in the negative