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LISBON, Jan 17- Portugal is preparing to issue a 5- year syndicated bond in the next few days as it strives to return to regular financing in the debt market, Portugal daily Diario Economico reported on Thursday citing market sources.

MELBOURNE/ SYDNEY, Jan 17- Rio Tinto's new chief executive Sam Walsh takes the helm at a time when some critics say the global miner is too dependent on one commodity-- iron ore.

Jan 15- Bentley Motors expects another year of double-digit growth in vehicle sales, counting on unbroken demand in the United States and China. The company expects a positive decision by parent Volkswagen AG's Wolfsburg, Germany- based based headquarters "in a few weeks" to proceed with plans to build its first SUV, the CEO said.

Jan 14- Coca-Cola Co will air a two-minute commercial on a U.S. cable television news show on Monday that highlights its efforts in fighting obesity, as the soft drink industry faces increasing pressure from local governments and critics.

*SEC still working on risk control rules to target errors. Elisse Walter, who took over the agency in December, said a forthcoming cross-border swaps proposal is "a critical linchpin" as the SEC finalizes derivatives rules required under the 2010 Dodd-Frank law enacting Wall Street reforms.

Jan 16- Clearwire Corp shareholder Mount Kellett complained that Sprint Nextel Corp's offer to buy out the company was "grossly inadequate" and said Clearwire's special committee had breached its fiduciary duties in accepting the offer.

*Anglo American Platinum workers down tools. LONDON, Jan 16- Platinum gained the upper hand over gold on Wednesday, with rallying prices putting the metal's value above that of bullion for a second day due to concerns over South African mine supply.

*Morgan Stanley up after results. NEW YORK, Jan 18- The Dow and S&P 500 closed at five-year highs on Friday as the market registered a third straight week of gains on a solid start to the quarterly earnings season. Morgan Stanley was the latest Wall Street bank to report strong results.

Siderúrgica Nacional SA have emerged as leading bidders for steel mills ThyssenKrupp AG is trying to sell in the United States and Brazil, a source close to the deal said on Thursday.

*Lead to outperform as China cold snap drives battery demand-Deutsche. SINGAPORE, Jan 21- London copper was little changed on Monday after economic growth in top metals consumer China picked up speed in the fourth quarter even as annual growth slowed to its lowest since 1999, with turnover low due to a U.S. holiday and the upcoming new year break in China.

TOKYO, Jan 21- The Nikkei share average fell on Monday as investors pocketed profits as a precaution ahead of the outcome of the Bank of Japan's two-day policy meeting, with expectations for aggressive easing already mostly priced into the market.

FRANKFURT, Jan 21- Research in Motion will look into strategic alliances with other technology companies once it has launched its new BlackBerry 10 models, its chief executive told a German newspaper.

FRANKFURT/ MUNICH, Jan 18- Daimler wants to buy a stake in the car unit of its Chinese partner BAIC Group this year as part of a drive to bolster its sagging position in the country, two sources close to the plans said.

By Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto. TOKYO, Jan 18- Japan's government and central bank have agreed to set 2 percent inflation as a new target next week, when the Bank of Japan will also consider making an open-ended commitment to buy assets until the target is in sight, sources familiar with the BOJ's thinking told Reuters.

WASHINGTON, Jan 18- Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives backed away on Friday from a fiscal clash with President Barack Obama next month that could have risked a government default and chaos in financial markets, shifting to a new, less aggressive stance.

*Algeria crisis renews Middle East worries. SINGAPORE, Jan 21- Brent futures steadied below $112 per barrel on Monday as the oil markets cooled after last week's rally as economic worries and concerns of over-supply offset fears of renewed unrest in the Middle East after the Algerian crisis.

BRUSSELS, Jan 18- Euro zone finance ministers will discuss on Monday which banks could be given direct aid from the bloc's bailout fund, embarking on a divisive debate that includes doubts about whether such a step should be taken.

LONDON/ NEW YORK, Jan 17- Soaring U.S. exports of liquefied petroleum gas, a side product of the shale boom, are giving energy markets a taste of the tectonic changes they could see if and when the United States passes the milestone of exporting natural gas. It is a taste of things to come, very much so, "said Seth Kleinman, head of energy strategy at Citi Group in London.

SINGAPORE, Jan 21- Gold inched up on Monday to reverse losses from the previous session, bolstered by expectations for aggressive monetary easing from the Bank of Japan. There is attention on the Bank of Japan, which is really being pressured to embark on some very precious metals-friendly policy, "said a Hong Kong- based trader.