* U.S. gridlock on stimulus deal dents share prices

* Russia vaccine news triggers escape from safe-haven assets

* Value-oriented shares bought back globally

By Hideyuki Sano and Lawrence Delevingne

TOKYO/BOSTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Asian stocks dipped on Wednesday on growing uncertainty over whether the U.S. lawmakers would agree on an additional round of big fiscal stimulus to support an economy still struggling with the novel coronavirus.

Hopes of vaccine development, however, prompted some investors to reduce safe-haven

* Iron ore futures down as much as 3.9%

* Steel rebar, HRC prices drop

* China steel body says port congestion to ease

BEIJING, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Dalian iron ore futures slumped in early trade on Wednesday after the China Iron and Steel Association said iron ore discharging difficulties and port congestion issues were expected to ease later this month.

The most active iron ore futures contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange, for January delivery, fell as much as 3.9% to 808

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude prices rose more than 2% on Wednesday after government data showed U.S. oil inventories fell across the board, bolstering hopes that fuel demand in the world’s biggest economy will withstand the coronavirus pandemic.

Brent crude LCOc1 settled up 93 cents, or 2.1%, at $45.43

BEIJING (Reuters) - China needs to keep its relationship with the United States on the right track and ensure it does not derail, Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said.

“The coming months are crucial for China-U.S. relations. We must maintain our focus and not be swayed by various extreme forces,” Le was quoted as

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian wages grew at their slowest pace on record in the second quarter, underscoring the damage the coronavirus has done to household spending, after recent data showed consumer confidence and business conditions were hit.

The official

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States, European Union, Canada and Switzerland, home to some of the world’s biggest food companies, have pressed Mexico to delay upcoming health warnings on processed food and drinks, a World Trade Organization document showed.

The Mexican standard, scheduled to take effect in October,

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese industrial conglomerate Toshiba Corp reported on Wednesday its first quarterly operating loss in nearly four years as the coronavirus pandemic hit demand for its electronic devices, copiers and chip-making equipment.

The company posted an operating loss of 12.6 billion yen ($118 million) for the

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand officials are investigating the possibility that its first COVID-19 cases in more than three months were imported by freight, as the country’s biggest city plunged back into lockdown on Wednesday.

The discovery of four infected family members in Auckland led Prime Minister Jacinda

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global stocks rose on Wednesday, ending at their highest since February as investors kept betting on more stimulus in the United States despite doubts, while gold was whipsawed and silver clawed back from a massive drop.