CHINA

Gold dropped more than 2 percent on Monday, hit by margin selling related to an equities sell-off that stemmed from mounting fears about government debt in Europe and the United States.

Camila Alves tells IBTimes about her handmade handbag collection, MUXO. The MUXO line is influenced by a medley of cultures from around the world, cultures that Alves has experienced firsthand owing to her jetsetter lifestyle.

Finance officials bit their nails and nervously watched the clock. There were 30 minutes left in a bond auction aimed at funding the deficit and there was not a single bid.

Hony Capital, one of China's most successful private equity funds, aims to raise up to $2.6 billion in a new fund, two sources said on Monday, in what is set to be the biggest ever dollar fundraising for a China-based firm.

It was unclear what exact steps the Treasury planned for Iran but it seemed unlikely it would seek to cut off the Iranian financial sector entirely, a move that could disrupt the global energy markets and harm the U.S. economic recovery.

Stock index futures pointed to a drop of about 1 percent on Monday as growing concerns about heavy debt loads both domestically and abroad added more uncertainty to a troubled market.

Silvercorp Metals Inc said it will buy China's SX Gold Mining Company for about $22.75 million.

U.S. stock index futures were sharply lower on Monday, extending the previous week's losses as a congressional super committee was expected to concede defeat in its bid to lower the deficit.

RBC Capital Markets said the completion of initial debt exchange and sale of additional non-strategic assets will strengthen the balance sheet of Bank of America Corp.

When some bankers arrived late for work at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch's Asia headquarters in Hong Kong earlier this year, they found a Post-It note on their computer screens.

Digital China Holdings, an IT vendor, said it was looking at acquiring targets in China's IT service sector and AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc. (NASDAQ:ASIA), hiSoft Technology International (NYSE:HSFT) or VanceInfo Technologies (NYSE:VIT) could be the beneficiaries of this development.

Gold fell by more than one percent on Monday, swept lower by a firm dollar and falls in other financial markets as worries deepened about government debt in Europe and the U.S.

The demand for the iPhone 4S has been strong, ever since Apple Inc. started shipping the latest iteration of its iPhone series. In fact, market experts are expecting Apple to ship over 70 million units of the iPhone in 2011.

The hype and expectation circling the still elusive 100th international century for Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, is a clear indication of the pathetic state of sports, in general, in India.

Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan warned on Monday the global economy is in a grim state and the visiting U.S. commerce secretary said China would spend $1.7 trillion on strategic sectors as Beijing seeks to bolster waning growth.

Car sales growth in China will remain stagnant next year in the absence of incentives for buyers and China's tight credit control, raising pressure on car makers to cut prices and improve after-sales services, industry executives and analysts said on Monday.

Gold traded steady on Monday after its biggest weekly loss since September, as investors remained cautious even after Spain's center-right opposition won a landslide victory in the election and is expected to launch drastic austerity measures.

Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will run in a parliamentary by-election expected by the end of the year, a top party official said Monday, giving legitimacy to moves toward democracy after decades of military rule.

In a rare form of protest in China, supporters of dissident artist Ai Weiwei, under investigation on pornograhy charges, are posting nude photos of themselves.

When some bankers arrived late for work at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch's Asia headquarters in Hong Kong earlier this year, they found a Post-It note on their computer screens.

The National Museum of American History is once again featuring the bespoke First Lady exhibition to display an array of gowns and other exhibits belonging to the First Ladies of the United States during different eras.