Oil rises on Kuwait strike; global stock index highest since December

By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Tuesday following a workers' strike in Kuwait, while a global stock index hit its highest since December as signs of economic stabilization in China lifted demand for riskier assets. The rise in oil prices drove up the currencies of countries dependant on commodity exports, including the Australian dollar which rose to a 10-month high. Copper prices also jumped.