CHINA

Workers at an electrical products factory in eastern China received a pleasant shock when they returned to their jobs after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays.

Finnish gaming firm Rovio expects to boost growth for months to come, with expansion in Asia, to Facebook and with the launch of Angry Birds Spaces, its marketing chief told Reuters in an interview.

North Korea has agreed with the United States to suspend major elements of its atomic weapons program in a surprise breakthrough that could pave the way for the resumption of long-stalled nuclear disarmament talks with the secretive state.

Heavy fighting raged near Baba Amro in Homs Wednesday evening after elite Syrian troops attacked the rebel-held bastion that has endured 25 days of siege and fierce bombardment, activists said.

The Pritzker Prize jury went in a more political direction this year, awarding the prize Chinese architect Wang Shu the profession's highest honor, it deliver

China's 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese Parliament and top legislative body, will convene its fifth annual meeting Monday to set such key 2012 economic objectives as a lower target for economic growth, while keeping inflation steady.

Finnish gaming firm Rovio expects to boost growth for months to come, with expansion in Asia, to Facebook and with the launch of Angry Birds Spaces, its marketing chief told Reuters in an interview.

BlackRock Chairman and CEO Laurence Fink said on Wednesday he still believes U.S. equities are attractive even with their solid rise so far this year.

South Korea and certain western nations have been pressuring Beijing not to deport the North Korean defectors

Gas prices in the U.S. are increasing. Is it possible we’ll see a $5 gallon anytime soon? Signs point to yes.

Designer Tadashi Shoji talks about his journey making an Oscars dress for Octavia Spencer, who won her first Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for The Help. Spencer dominated the red carpet, evident in photos thanks to her go-to designer.

South Korea embraced the decision and said it hoped it could lead to a broader framework of peace between the two countries.

James Murdoch resigned from his position as executive chairman of News International on Wednesday amid a phone hacking scandal that has sent shockwaves through the media empire of his mogul father, Rupert Murdoch. The question now is: who is next in line to succeed Rupert?

The U.S. economy grew a bit faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter on slightly firmer consumer and business spending, which could help to allay fears of a sharp slowdown in growth in early 2012.

U.S. mining equipment maker Joy Global Inc posted higher first-quarter profit, helped by stronger margins, and raised its 2012 forecast.

China's engagement in resolving the euro zone debt crisis has been a topic of contention. High-profile Chinese leaders, such as Vice Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Xi Jinping, have reassured the European countries that China would invest in alleviating the debt. However, a financial plan has yet to be communicated.

China hopes to cap the number of people living with HIV/AIDS at 1.2 million by 2015, up from around 780,000 at present, partly by promoting increased condom use, the government said in an action plan released on Wednesday.

Lawyers for Apple Inc. argued for its right to use the iPad trademark in China on Wednesday, as a higher court began a crucial hearing that could result in sales of the wildly popular tablet computer being halted throughout the Chinese mainland.

The United States has agreed to send at least 240,000 metric tons of food, with an increased proportion of grain products, to isolated North Korea.

Crude oil is predominantly priced and traded in U.S. dollars, although Iran has already accepted payments in some other currencies.

China will soon publish precise definitions of what constitutes insider trading that would make it easier to prosecute and punish illegal traders, the New Century magazine reported on its website, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.