CHINA

Official data showed on Thursday that China recorded a surprise trade deficit in February, causing Asian markets to drop on fears that monetary tightening in the country is taking a toll on economic growth.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday after a rating downgrade of Spain rekindled concerns over euro zone debt problems and weak Chinese trade data heightened global growth worries.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday after a rating downgrade of Spain rekindled concerns over euro zone debt problems and weak Chinese trade data heightened global growth worries.

Shares of Focus Media Holding Ltd. (FMCN) touched a new 52-week high of $30.27 on Wednesday. The company reported Tuesday higher fourth quarter adjusted earnings as revenue in LCD display (including the movie theater network), in-store and poster frame business increased 45 percent.

Wall Street is set to open lower on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq down 0.3-0.6 percent at 1019 GMT.

U.S. stocks ended modestly lower in choppy trading as unfolding events in Libya and their impact on oil prices seem to be the overriding factors to most investors.

European stocks and the euro retreated on Thursday after Moody's downgraded Spain, reigniting worries over the euro zone debt crisis, while ongoing violence in Libya kept Brent crude hovering around $116.

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Yingjiang County in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Thursday afternoon, killing alt least 14 people and injuring about 135 local residents.

China swung to a surprise trade deficit in February of $7.3 billion, its largest in seven years, as the Lunar New Year holiday dealt an unexpectedly sharp blow to exports.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Semtech, China Lodging Group, Fuel-Tech, China Sky One Medical, and Iridium Communications. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Coldwater Creek, The Children's Place Retail Stores, SMTC, SIGA Technologies, and Columbia Laboratories.

The Dalai Lama has not only reiterated his decision to retire from power but also stated that Tibet needs a leader elected by the people. This assertion takes significance in the backdrop of the uncertainty over succession and China's growing interference.

China may be struggling with growing income disparities, yet when it comes to making a fortune, many Chinese still believe that to get rich is glorious, especially if you are an entrepreneur.

On Wednesday, Forbes magazine unveiled its 25th annual ranking of the richest men on the planet; we take a look here at the 10 billionaires on top.

Global miner Rio Tinto raised its offer for Mozambique-focused coal miner Riversdale Mining to $3.9 billion in a final bid to woo key shareholders who have held up the deal and gain control of coveted coal assets.

Rising steel and oil prices in Russia, more honest disclosure in Brazil and booming economies in China and India have fueled a spike in billionaires in the so-called BRIC countries.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged lawmakers on Wednesday to approve capital increases for global lending institutions and warned that failure to do so could harm U.S. influence abroad.

The governor of Illinois has signed a law that will ban the death penalty in the state, making it the sixteenth U.S. state to prohibit the ultimate punishment.

Each year, on March 8, women around the world celebrate International Women’s Day. In 2011, women (and some men) in over 100 countries celebrated this holiday. It was a well-received and joyous event in most places.

U.S. stocks wavered between small gains and losses on Wednesday as oil prices remained near $105 a barrel amid reports of intensified fighting in Libya.

The Dow rebounded on Wednesday with a jump in IBM's stock on its 2015 outlook, but the Nasdaq fell as a weaker-than-expected earnings target from Texas Instruments weighed on the chip sector.

China's wary government is a world champion in internet censorship, but Communist Party leaders now want to master the trickier feat of actively shaping online opinion.