CHINA

NATO was first formed in April 1949 with twelve original members, two North American nations and twelve European states located either in Northern or Western Europe. Turkey entered with the first enlargement in 1952 - before even Germany.

Asian Stock markets mostly declined Tuesday as market participants continued to doubt the ability of European leaders in tackling the debt crisis at a European summit later this week.

Flash floods and mudslides in parts of China triggered by heavy rain have left 16 people dead and 8 million affected. Evacuation and relief operations are underway in affected areas where water levels in rivers and reservoirs crossed the danger level.

The issue that forced out his predecessor ? the refusal by Gilani to probe Zardari for alleged corruption ? may doom Ashraf as well, if the courts again demand he take such action.

Central banks are reaching the limit of their ability to boost economic growth and the potential for harmful side effects of more extraordinary monetary easing is growing, the Bank for International Settlements warned.

Known as 'Ghaus-e-Azam' by Muslims and 'Kahnoow' by the Hindus, Jeelani is revered by both faiths in Kashmir.

The weekend brought a sobering warning from the Bank for International Settlements, which suggested that the emerging markets are facing their own version of the boom and bust cycle that brought the developed world to its knees three years ago.

China's annual growth target for 2012 looks increasingly in jeopardy as demand at home falters and Europe's debt crisis worsens, complicating matters for Beijing as the country heads into a once-in-a-decade leadership transition.

Asian stock markets mostly declined Monday as fears of a further global slowdown and economic headwinds from the euro zone continued to weigh on the sentiment.

An earthquake of 5.7 magnitude hit a remote mountainous terrain in southwest China Sunday, leaving at least four people dead and over 100 others injured, Chinese authorities said Monday.

Crude oil futures advanced Monday as U.S. companies shut down nearly a quarter of oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico because of the intensifying weather caused by Tropical Storm Debby.

Despite the long-standing tensions with China over the Tibetan autonomy, the Dalai Lama, who is on a visit to the UK for public talks and appearances, talked fondly of his close relations with Mao Zedong, saying the Chinese revolutionary leader considered him as a son.

Most Asian markets fell Monday as investor sentiment continued to be dragged down by concerns over the looming debt crisis in the euro zone.

In the wake of the Syrian downing of a Turkish F-4 Phantom reconnaissance jet on Friday, there has been a great deal of restraint, but it appears Ankara's patience with Damascus may be wearing thin.

A Chinese spacecraft carrying three astronauts successfully completed a manual docking, or link-up between two separate spacecraft on Sunday the first- ever for the country.

The market sentiment is likely to remain subdued in the coming week as increasing expectations of a further global slowdown and economic headwinds from the euro zone will continue to weigh.

Treyarch?s upcoming ?Call of Duty: Black Ops 2? has fans and critics alike excited for the next chapter in the franchise. The game is set to take place in futuristic war-torn Los Angeles, but some say that ?Black Ops 2? is more than just a follow-up to the 2010 game: It will change the shooter genre forever.

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee meets this week to select new additions to the World Heritage List. But with little money and over 900 sites already, is the World Heritage emblem now just a fancy name for a lame duck?

With all of its contradictions, Azerbaijan is a complex country to fully figure out: Its tangled friendships and autocratic policies are often puzzling as are its relations with the West. But its obsession with oil is as undiluted and unwavering as anything the country has ever done.

People used to call him a saint; now, Jerry Sandusky faces a maximum sentence of 442 years in prison after a jury of seven women and five men found the former defensive coordinator of Penn State's storied football program guilty of 45 out of 48 counts of sexual assault, molesting 10 boys over the span of 15 years. But is a life-sentence enough punishment for Sandusky?

Most Asian markets fell this week as investors were worried after the U.S. Federal Reserve refused to announce a further round of quantitative easing and the HSBC Flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) indicated that China's manufacturing activity was faltering.