CHINA

Stock index futures fell on Thursday after manufacturing data in the euro zone and China increased worry about a slowing global economy.

Boeing Co , Airbus and Embraer have come together to work with governments and biofuel producers to promote and speed up the availability of jet fuels that reduce carbon emissions.

A Chinese telecommunications equipment company has sold Iran's largest telecom firm a powerful surveillance system capable of monitoring landline, mobile and internet communications, interviews and contract documents show.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday after manufacturing data in the eurozone and China increased worry about a slowing global economy.

Stock index futures fell on Thursday after manufacturing data in the euro zone and China increased worry about a slowing global economy.

While shipping costs have been recovering over the past month from historical lows earlier this year, rates for the biggest vessels keep falling. Mistrust in the market, bad luck for iron exporters and a slowdown in world steel consumption are to blame.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Wednesday were: Alimera Sciences, Shoe Carnival, Origin Agritech, Smith & Wesson Holding, James River Coal and GRAVITY Co. The top after-market NASDAQ losers were: Sonic Corp., Herman Miller, China Lodging Group, Chinacast Education Corp, Intuit Inc and OmniVision Technologies.

High oil prices affect politics, schools, jobs, public budgets and almost every industry. But current pressures could be augmented if war breaks out between Israel or the United States and Iran, with the result being a costly disruption in global supply.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.6 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.57 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.58 percent at 1000 GMT.

Crude oil prices declined in European trade Thursday as sentiment was dampened after reports indicated a sharp slowdown in the Chinese manufacturing activity in March.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including Russia and China, stands united in its approach to put an end to the violent uprising in Syria by issuing an ultimatum to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Recent industry reports suggest that China's corn production in 2011/12 could be as much as 14 percent lower than current official estimates, according to Capital Economics.

Growth in Ecuador may continue to be in the upside in early-2012 as a series of supply shocks and geopolitical risks keep oil prices elevated according to Capital Economics.

Asian shares gave back earlier gains Thursday after data showed China's factory activity shrank for a fifth successive month, underscoring concerns about a growth slowdown in the world's second largest economy.

IBM senior manager for global security operations Nick Bradley said threats from cyberattacks increased last year despite more awareness by computer center managers. New threats come from iPhones and BlackBerrys.

Apple has reportedly placed orders for a 4.6-inch screen to be featured in the company's next-generation smartphone, presumably called the iPhone 5. If accurate, this news would mean that Apple is breaking from tradition yet again, and giving consumers a bigger iPhone experience.

Asian shares inched up Thursday but remained in ranges as investors waited for manufacturing data from China and the euro zone due during this session for more clues about the state of their economies.

Brazil plans to signal its growing concern about intense foreign competition hurting its industries by suggesting at the World Trade Organization that the ceiling for its import tariffs is too low, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

Starbucks Corp said on Wednesday it would spend $180 million on U.S. factories, creating 150 manufacturing jobs, and that it would get into the $8 billion U.S. energy drink market with a new product.

European policy makers have identified a large shortfall in computing and IT skills among young people that threatens to dent Europe's ability to compete and could exacerbate youth unemployment in the coming decade.

Alaska could soon have a pipeline linking the state's liquefied natural gas to Asian markets, according to a published report.