Q&A: Melinda Gates explains why charity cannot wait

One of the biggest ways that Bill and Melinda Gates have revolutionized the world of philanthropy was to start giving away their Microsoft Corp fortune before they were old.

For the latest in Reuters' Life Lessons series, Melinda Gates sat down to talk about the principles that have guided a life of extreme success and the vast responsibilities that come with that.

(www.reuters.com)

Berkshire Hathaway gains $1.6 billion from its huge bite of Apple

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) is sitting on more than $1.6 billion of gains in its investment in Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) after shares of the iPhone maker surged.

Berkshire revealed that its massive stake in Apple stock, as of Dec. 31, had risen to 61.2 million shares for a total of $6.75 billion, an average of about $110.17 apiece, according to the annual report Saturday from Berkshire.

(www.reuters.com)

China steams past U.S., France to be Germany's biggest trading partner

China for the first time became Germany's most important trading partner in 2016, overtaking the United States, which fell back to third place behind France, data showed on Friday.

German imports from and exports to China rose to 170 billion euros ($180 billion) last year, Federal Statistics Office figures reviewed by Reuters showed.

(www.reuters.com)

Germany's Social Democrats overtake Merkel's conservatives in poll

Germany's Social Democrats have overtaken Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in an opinion poll by Infratest dimap for the first time since October 2006, with seven months to go before a federal election.
(www.reuters.com)