WASHINGTON/RIYADH, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Gulf countries sharply improved their rankings in the World Bank's latest Doing Business report, while Latin American countries largely lagged in reforms and New Zealand took the top spot for the fourth year in a row.

MENINDEE, Australia (Reuters) - Reduced to a string of stagnant mustard-colored pools, fouled in places with pesticide runoff and stinking with the rotting carcasses of cattle and fish, the Darling River is running dry.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The British pound stabilized on Thursday as the Brexit project entered a fresh holding pattern, while the dollar held firm as traders took a breather from Sino-U.S. trade headlines.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian shares pulled ahead on Thursday with corporate earnings buffeting trading as investors remained anxious about the business impact of the Sino-U.S. trade war while Brexit uncertainties kept overall sentiment in check.

HONG KONG, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The British pound stabilized on Thursday as the Brexit project entered a fresh holding pattern, while the dollar held firm as traders took a breather from Sino-U.S. trade headlines.

(Reuters) - WeWork's new Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure on Wednesday defended huge payouts to the office-sharing company's founder Adam Neumann and said there is now "zero risk of the company going bankrupt," according to an audio recording of a meeting he held with employees that was reviewed by Reuters.

(Reuters) - Tesla Inc on Wednesday surprised investors with a quarterly profit that sent its shares soaring, as Chief Executive Elon Musk promised a 2020 rollout of a cheaper SUV and more self-driving technology to stay ahead of larger rivals rushing into the premium electric vehicle market he created.

(Reuters) - A massive fire that ripped through a convention centre under construction in Auckland has been brought under control after nearly two days, owner SkyCity Entertainment Group said on Thursday.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese factory activity shrank at the fastest pace in over three years in October, largely hurt by slumping new orders and output, in yet another sign of broadening economic cracks in the face of slowing global demand and trade frictions.