CHINA

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, said it will go ?carbon neutral? on July 1, the start of its new fiscal year.

Fragrance maker Coty Inc. increased its bid to buy troubled Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP), the world's largest direct sales beauty company, to around $10.7 billion on Thursday, putting more pressure on Avon's board to negotiate.

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG), which makes CoverGirl makeup, Olay products and Secret deodorant, will transfer the leaders of its global skin care, cosmetics and personal care unit to Singapore from Cincinnati, Ohio, the company said Thursday.

If suspicions are proven correct, the incident marks a turn for the worse in the struggles of rural Chinese against housing demolitions and home relocation, a popular approach in the country for carrying out land development.

Fashion's Night Out is once gain stepping out on the international stage. The Vogue-hosted shopping event is set to expand to all 19 territories that publish Vogue magazine for 2012.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and its primary iPad and iPhone supplier, Foxconn Technology Company Ltd. (Taipei: 2354), will share the costs of improving labor conditions inChinese factories, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou said.

The Sino-Philippine dispute continues to intensify, as Chinese tourists are given warnings against traveling to the Philippines.

The Global Fund, a leading financier in the struggle against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, expects to have an additional $1.6 billion to fund projects in 2012-2014, its new chief said on Wednesday, a turnaround from a funding freeze last year.

It was to be the first purpose-built retreat center for inhabitants of the world?s largest country, but plans for the £50m ($80m) Chinese holiday village in Wales were dealt a blow recently after inspectors deemed the design ?inappropriate.?

The price of U.S. imports fell 0.5 percent in April, a decrease driven by lower declining natural gas prices, while the price of U.S. exports rose 0.4 percent, according to a Department of Labor report Thursday.

J.R. Smith indicated on Twitter last night they he's played his last game as a Knick.

The U.S. trade deficit widened to $51.8 billion in March, up from a revised February figure of $45.4 billion, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported Thursday.

The missile features a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles), which would place western India within target.

Jackie Green, the British teenager who made history by having sex change at the age of 16, is now looking forward to win Miss England after entering into semi-final of the beauty pageant.

Asian markets fell Thursday as weak exports data from China and concerns surrounding Greece and Spain dampened sentiments.

China reported Thursday a rise in trade surplus to $18.4 billion in April from $5.35 billion in March amid continued weakness in exports caused by economic crises in overseas markets.

A month ago, shares of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, closed at their record high of $628.64. On April 10, they hit their all-time high of $644. Now they are at $570.

The Industrial and Commerce Bank of China (Hong Kong: 1398; Shanghai: 601398), the world's largest bank, is set to buy an 80 percent stake in Bank of East Asia (BEA) USA, based in New York.

While British lawmakers call Rupert Murdoch unfit to run a giant media conglomerate, shareholders might disagree. Despite recent declines, the company's stock price is up 20 percent to $19.17 in Wednesday trading from a six-month low in November and far above the $6 depths of March 2009.

As Chinese students across the country prepare for major national examinations that will determine their academic future, and likely their careers as well, some are taking extreme measures to gain an advantage.

Keith Judd, a.k.a. Inmate No. 11593-051, is currently serving a 17-year sentence at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas. He also won 41 percent of the votes in West Virginia's presidential primary on Tuesday, compared to 59 percent of the vote won by President Barack Obama.