Author: KMFSLLP

* Owners say right time to sell to drive future development (Recasts with Santos CEO, analyst, Macquarie investor comments)

Deficit stands in contrast to 1.9% level for UK as a whole

European stock markets were broadly flat in mid-morning trade on Wednesday, showing more caution than Wall Street, where the benchmark S&P 500 reached a record high in its longest-ever bull-market run.

Some 4,500 workers at Croatia's largest shipbuilding group Uljanik went on strike on Wednesday and called for management to step down in protest over late payment.

Japan's top financial regulator said management at some regional banks needed to get their act together, warning that they were "not considering seriously" how to build a sustainable business model despite gloomy prospects for the industry.

Vietnamese state oil firm PetroVietnam will seek to raise funds by issuing bonds in the international markets for its new projects, the company said on Wednesday.

* Hang Seng index ends up 0.6 pct China Enterprises index HSCE rises 1.1 percent

* Telstra shares up 7 pct, best daily gain in 18 years (Updates shares to close)

European stock markets opened lower on Wednesday, exerting more caution than Wall Street, where the benchmark S&P 500 reached a record high in its longest-ever bull-market run.

China stocks fell on Wednesday, weighed down by persistent economic concerns and worries over the outlook for trade ahead of lower-level talks between Washington and Beijing. ** The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.6 percent to 3,307.95 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index ended down 0.7 percent at 2,714.61 points. ** Trading activity...