AUSTRALIA

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq futures 0.1-0.4 percent higher at 0925 GMT (5:25 a.m. ET).

The Apple iPad 2 has flown off the shelves in as many as 25 countries where it was launched over the weekend, but this time Apple is facing uneasy questions from disappointed customers about the real reasons behind the sudden sell-out.

Following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan earlier this month, a Canadian broadcaster has pulled episodes of The Simpsons from its rotation.

A study shows that the cricket World cup caused a surge in visitation to cricket sites in India as fans went online for the latest results and match updates. Sites reached their highest volume of traffic for the month during the week ending March 13, with 16.4 percent of India's online population visiting ESPNCricInfo.com and 13.4 percent of web users visiting Yahoo! Cricket.

Two weeks after Apple's latest tablet went on sale in the United States, iPad 2 sales kick started in 25 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand and 21 European nations.

Around 600 people lined up outside a store in London Friday afternoon to get their hands on a new iPad 2 tablet computer from Apple.

The symbolic action of turning lights out for an hour in an expression of concern for the environment is in the process of being officially observed in thousands of communities across 134 countries and territories on Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Apple's iPad 2 is selling like a hot-cakes in the United States as well as around the world. In United States, it was selling so fast that the company couldn't keep up with the orders.

Lights being turned off in homes, businesses and public buildings in Fiji and New Zealand at 8:30 PM local time marked the commencement of Earth Hour 2011, with widespread endorsement of the message that the world and its environment need commitments for action going “beyond the hour”.

Earth Hour has already passed for Asia and Australia. For the Middle East and Africa, it's hours away. For North America and Europe, there is plenty of time to prepare for Earth Day.

At the end of the second practice session before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, it was the surprise duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, both McLaren drivers, who led the way with the fastest times at the Albert Park.

Despite supply woes from earthquake-torn Jana, Apple iPad 2 global sales attract buyers. Start slideshow to see photos of tech-junkies grabbing the tablet across 25 countries:

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

Australian defense minister Stephen Smith has apologized to his Afghan counterpart after footage of racial abuse involving Australian troops in Afghanistan were aired by television channels.

BHP Billiton Ltd., one of the world's largest mining companies, said it would invest about $10 billion in Australia to expand its iron ore coal mining operations.

A new study claims that religion may be on the way out in some parts of Europe, largely because it isn't as useful to adherents as it once was.

Corrects story from March 22 to make fourth paragraph read “on a free on board basis” instead of “including the cost of insurance and freight”

Australia's top airline Qantas has raised airfares to offset rising fuel costs that is threatening airline profits.

Apple Inc said it would roll out its newest iPad to 25 more markets this week, including France and the United Kingdom, but did not provide any hard figures for sales so far in the United States.

Apple Inc will stick to plans to roll out its newest iPad on Friday to 25 more markets, including France and the United Kingdom, even as it fails to meet the high demand for the gadget in the United States.

Apple said on Tuesday the new version of its game-changing tablet, the iPad 2, will go on sale in as many as 25 countries this Friday, putting an end to speculation over the device's international launch and rumors about possible supply constraints.