CHINA

As a local villager in western china drilled a well, he came across an oddly shaped fungus -like object, he thought to be a rare mushroom. After summoning TV crews to document the unearthing of the object, it was finally identified as nothing more than a sex toy.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is headed for the sunny beaches of Ipanema, and many Brazilians are less than thrilled.

Why are people in China upset at their own space program?

Asian markets fell Tuesday as investor concerns on the euro zone debt crisis were revived amid fading optimism after the Greek elections and increasing borrowing costs of Spain.

China pledged $43 billion, while India and Russia promised $10 billion each, to the International Monetary Fund Monday as aid to debt-ridden countries in the euro zone.

Stock markets in China and Hong Kong declined Tuesday as renewed concerns over Spain's financial woes offset optimism over the Greek election results.

Foxconn, Apple?s major manufacturing partner, has expressed interest in buying more shares in Sharp, according to Slash Gear. This is fueling rumors that the companies are working towards Apple?s rumored ?iTV,? although there has been no official word on the device?s development.

The first thing thousands of international delegates headed to the G-20 summit will likely see as they land in Los Cabos, Mexico, this week will be the spiny bush-clad hills and azure waters that typify southern Baja California.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, introduced its first tablet, Surface, to battle Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) in the tablet sector

A new report shows that the Ethiopian government, caught up in an ambitious, nationwide agricultural overhaul, is facilitating the mistreatment and forced relocation of small-scale farmers in Omo Valley.

After the positive effects of the Greek election fade, markets will shift focus toward the Federal Reserve announcement scheduled for Wednesday.

Twenty years after the 1992 Earth Summit, world leaders are returning to Rio de Janeiro to negotiate further progress toward sustainable development. However, the potential for this year?s Rio+20 Summit to have a similar impact is less likely.

Videos of a mushroom cloud over Beijing on Monday have the Internet freaked out as concerns rise about just what caused the odd atmospheric phenomenon.

China also towed some of its fishing vessels out of the area as the storm approached but reportedly left surveillance vessels behind.

State-owned Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (commonly known as Beijing Automotive Group or BAIC) hired Leonardo Fioravanti, legendary designer of the Ferrari Daytona, to transform the Chinese car conglomerate into a world-class maker of luxury cars by 2025, according to Bloomberg News.

The BRICS are expected to release data Monday on their contributions to the International Monetary Fund/European bailout package at the G-20 Summit in Mexico.

Commodity prices posted a brief rally on Monday after a pro-austerity party got the most votes in Greece's weekend elections, but the market's upswing fizzled almost as soon as it began, confounding traders who might have expected developments to lift risky assets for at least a few of sessions.

Iran has been suspected of developing nuclear weapons, and the world powers in the Russian capital will spend two days trying to get Tehran to stop the enrichment and storage of uranium to 20 percent and open a secret military facility to United Nations inspectors.

This week's data releases highlight Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement, which will likely present a dovish tone. However, those who are expecting for the announcement of renewed asset purchases will likely be disappointed.

Ultra Petroleum, Gentex Corp, Groupon, Peabody Energy, Nokia, AK Steel Holding, Goodrich Petroleum, Facebook and Coca-Cola Co. are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Monday.

Asian markets rose Monday as investors were relieved after the pro-bailout parties won Sunday's elections in Greece.