CHINA

Could Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) shares trade at $1,001? Analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets see that within 18 months when Apple closes its fiscal 2013.

U.S. President Barack Obama has already warned that the window of opportunity for a diplomatic solution is rapidly closing, suggesting that a military strike on Iran may be likely at some point.

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), the world’s largest coffee-shop chain, is planning to further tap into the massive Chinese market and triple the size of its workforce and local network of shops by 2014.

A few blades of dried grass with Mahatma Gandhi's bloodstains on them, collected from the spot in New Delhi where he was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1948, will go under the hammer in Shropshire, UK, on April 17.

China's official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, a gauge of manufacturing sector performance, unexpectedly jumped to the highest level in a year, while a rival index by HSBC showed further weakening in the sector.

Friday, the Dow gained 66.22 points, or 0.50 percent, to 13,212.04 at the close. The S&P 500 Index gained 5.19 points, or 0.37 percent, to 1,408.47, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 3.79 points, or 0.12 percent, to 3,091.57. The uptick capped U.S. stocks' strongest quarter in more than two years.

China's manufacturing sector expanded rapidly in March, confounding expectations of a contraction and easing fears about a potential hard landing for the world's second-biggest economy.

Most Asian stock markets ended with gains Monday as higher-than-expected reading of China’s official Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) boosted sentiment.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Friday were: Metabolix, AXT Inc, Echelon Corp, Ku6 Media Co, Saba Software and Penford Corp. The top after-market NASDAQ losers were: Nortek, TripAdvisor, Groupon, Vera Bradley, Illumina and Amsurg Corp.

(Reuters) - Asia's manufacturers stepped up the pace in March to fill an influx of new orders as Europe's debt crisis subsided and U.S. growth picked up, dispelling some of the gloom that had shrouded the global economy.

China's big factories were surprisingly busy in March as a stream of new orders lifted activity to an 11-month high, but credit-constrained smaller manufacturers struggled, suggesting that the economy is still losing steam.

The United States vowed to nearly double its funding to the Syrian opposition, and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised the Syrian people they will not be left alone.

China's big factories were surprisingly busy in March as a stream of new orders lifted activity to an 11-month high, but credit-constrained smaller manufacturers struggled, suggesting that the economy is still losing steam.

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in parliament Sunday, as her National League for Democracy claimed a near-sweep in historic by-elections that will test Myanmar's reform credentials and could convince the West to end sanctions.

Samsung Electronics continues to keep silence over the highly anticipated smartphone of the year -- Samsung Galaxy S3. However, the media world is abuzz with the next generation gadget's rumored specs, features and unofficial pictures.

Foxconn Technology Group will keep on increasing worker salaries in China and cutting the hours of work, Chairman Terry Gou said on Sunday, after it came under fire for poor working conditions for employees making Apple iPhones and iPads.

Foxconn Technology Group will keep increasing worker salaries in China and cutting work hours, Chairman Terry Gou said on Sunday, after it came under fire for poor working conditions for employees making Apple iPhones and iPads.

South Korean exports in March fell 1.4 percent from a year ago, missing a consensus forecast for a small gain and adding to questions about the strength of a global recovery even with a boost to shipments in the first month of a landmark free trade pact with the United States.

Why are the lights and logos out at the Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House, Eiffel Tower, Christ the Redeemer, Burj Khalifa, and Great Wall of China? They've all gone dark for Earth Hour 2012 as a symbolic gesture of each nation's commitment to sustainability.

BP, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips ended litigation with Alaska over a field of natural gas in the state's North Slope that has remained undeveloped for 30 years.

Chinese authorities have shut down 16 websites and arrested six people after rumors of an attempted coup in Beijing spread over the Internet last week, China's state media reported.