CHINA

Multinational companies operating in China are placing less importance on the world's second-biggest economy amid rising local competition and concern over intellectual property rights, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday as optimism continued to grow that European Union leaders would craft bold measures to combat the region's debt crisis at a summit this week.

The Shanghai municipal government unveiled a plan on Wednesday that will create incentives for foreign private equity and venture capital funds to invest in early-stage technology companies in the city.

The Municipal Intermediate People's Court in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city neighboring Hong Kong, earlier this week rejected a lawsuit by Apple accusing Proview Technology (Shenzhen) of infringing on its iPad trademark.

For most of her campaign, Michele Bachmann has made more headlines for her gaffes than for her platform, and her popularity has fallen as a result. But moving past the YouTube clips and headlines, what are the Minnesota congresswoman's political positions?

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open for equities on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 up 0.6-0.8 percent.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Mitcham Industries, China Medical Technologies, ModusLink Global Solutions, Clearwire, and Carrizo Oil & Gas. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Globe Specialty Metals, First Niagara Financial Group, Photronics, Vera Bradley, and Saia.

Ten years ago, foreign insurers were lining up to celebrate China's entry into the World Trade Organization, eager to tap what was certain to become the world's next big insurance frontier.

Just hours after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left Myanmar last week, property prices began to soar.

China's annual rate of export growth slowed in November versus October, Vice Commerce Minister Chong Quan said on Wednesday, confirming market expectations that deteriorating external conditions are dragging on the world's No. 2 economy.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers on Tuesday were: Talbots, Men's Wearhouse, Sealy Corp, NCI Building Systems, Lithia Motors, Coeur d'Alene Mines, Yingli Green Energy Holding, United States Steel Corp, B&G Foods Holdings and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group.

India's power, telecoms and aviation sectors, core to sustaining the country's growth, are in various states of crisis. This crisis may force the government to bring about reforms.

There is nothing more unromantic than performing background checks on a potential date, but tales of dating abuse continue to horrify us, prompting governments across the world to introduce controversial regulations which mandates criminal background checks for every user signing up with dating agencies. The potential for abuse in state regulation of dating agencies is huge, as people could demand confidential information of others without proper justification.

China's annual rate of export growth slowed in November versus October, vice commerce minister Chong Quan told reporters on Wednesday, confirming market expectations that deteriorating external conditions are dragging on the world's No. 2 economy.

China's annual rate of export growth slowed in November versus October, vice commerce minister Chong Quan told reporters on Wednesday, confirming market expectations that deteriorating external conditions are dragging on the world's No. 2 economy.

China's annual rate of export growth slowed in November versus October, vice commerce minister Chong Quan told reporters on Wednesday after an official media briefing.

A court in southern China has rejected a lawsuit by Apple Inc, accusing a Chinese technology company of infringing its iPad trademark, a newspaper reported on Tuesday, the latest move in a protracted tug-of-war over the name.

China's Qihoo 360 Technology Co denied once again a report that alleged the online services provider was either committing fraud or was misleading Wall Street about its revenue model.

Chinese and Indian appetite for diamonds will fuel demand growth of more than 6 percent a year over the next decade and almost double the size of the market, far outpacing supply increases limited by a lack of new mines, Bain & Company said in a report.

The Bank of Canada kept its overnight interest rate at 1 percent on Tuesday, as expected, and gave no suggestion of an impending rate cut even though its view of the European debt crisis has clearly darkened.

The growth rates of all four BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies have surpassed expectations in the decade since the term came into existence. However, India's record in terms of productivity, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and reform has been the most disappointing, according to Jim O'Neil, the Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, on Tuesday.