CHINA

Asian stock markets slumped Friday as renewed concerns over euro zone crisis and lackluster economic data from US dented investor sentiment.

Home prices in China fell in April, indicating that the government's efforts to curb the property market boom are gaining further momentum.

Asian stock markets tumbled on Friday, following an overnight slump on Wall Street as weaker-than-expected U.S. economic data and a deepening euro zone crisis dampened sentiment.

A U.N. panel of experts that monitors compliance with sanctions on North Korea is investigating reports of possible weapons-related shipments by the Communist state to Syria and Myanmar, the panel said in a confidential report seen by Reuters on Thursday.

European stocks lost big Thursday as Greek banks were cut loose from European Central Bank support and Spain's borrowing costs kept skyrocketing. The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, also warned today of the extremely expensive consequences of Greece leaving the currency bloc.

Spot gold rallied more than 2.6 percent on Thursday, its largest one-day gain since late January, as technical buy signals and new signs of a sluggish U.S. economy more than offset deepening despair over the euro zone.

Chinese water experts say that around 50 percent of the country's tap water may not meet national pollutant standards and that water quality in non-coastal cities remains seriously neglected.

Israeli leaders Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Ehud Barak have long taken a hawkish stance against Iran.

China has been nudging North Korea to shelve the plans for a third nuclear test, though it remains unclear how North may react to the pressure, sources aware of the secretive discussions between the two nations have said.

North Korea has resumed construction on an experimental light water reactor, a move that could extend its capacity to produce more material for nuclear weapons, Web site 38North reported Thursday.

A group of retired Chinese Communist Party members have called for the resignation of Zhou Yongkang, the head of China's Public Security Ministry.

Greece continued to weigh heavily on confidence Wednesday as bank customers there began sending cash out of the country or hiding it under their beds -- this despite hints from German Chancellor Angela Merkel that a stimulus would be forthcoming if the country stuck to its austerity commitments.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) said it would buy two mining equipment companies as it seeks to expand in the $61 billion global mining supplier industry.

A coalition of companies has joined Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell in an unprecedented, landmark joint-venture to exploit natural gas resources in Western Canada.

U.S. investors bought shares of industrials, airlines, gold mining companies and agricultural assets Wednesday as robust economic data offset fears stoked by the likelihood of Greece leaving the euro zone.

Chinese fishermen are finding themselves at the center of foreign policy disputes between their country and many others across the region. Even friends like North Korea seem to have it out for Chinese fishing vessels.

Commodities prices fell Wednesday as investors, preparing for the fallout from an expected Greek exit from the euro zone, abandoned industrial and precious metals for the safety of German and U.S. government debt.

Four South Korean activists have been detained by China in the northeastern city of Dalian. The activists were meeting with refugees from North Korea in China in order to learn about their experiences.

Powerful storms in China leave hundreds of thousands homeless, causes hundreds of millions in damages, and put people's lives in jeopardy, but some appear unfazed by the disaster.

Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C., stole and sold approximately $2 million in guns and combat equipment to streets gangs and to China and Russia, military officials confirmed. The stolen guns and combat gear included assault rifles, night-vision goggles and flashlights.

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, sold more than 35 million iPhones in its most recent quarter, through its retail network and mobile carriers.