UNITED STATES

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari flew abruptly from Islamabad to Dubai Tuesday evening, apparently after suffering a minor heart attack, and may resign citing ill health, an American magazine reports.

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.

The Obama administration does not know Israel's intentions regarding potential military action against Iran, and the uncertainty is stoking concern in Washington, where the preferred course for now is sanctions and diplomatic pressure.

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.

Over 100 U.S. aerospace and defense industry executives are urging Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to hold off on proposed changes to Pentagon contracts with industry, warning they would dampen competition, raise costs and lead to further layoffs at a difficult time.

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.

General Motors Co is closing in on a package of proposed fixes for the Chevrolet Volt battery pack that engineers believe would eliminate the risk of a fire being triggered days after a crash, two people with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday.

Sales of Nintendo Co Ltd's 3DS games device will hit 3 million units in the Japanese market within days, but consumers in the U.S. and Europe seem to be delaying their holiday season shopping due to poor economic conditions, the company said.

Airlines will avert a shortfall in aircraft financing next year by relying increasingly on capital markets and alternative sources as pressure grows on European banks, Boeing Co forecast.

An 8-year-old boy named Elijah is one of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's toughtest protesters. At a recent book signing event for her book Core of Conviction: My Story in South Carolina, Elijah told Bachmann one thing: Miss Bachmann, my mommy is gay and she doesn't need any fixing.

Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it agreed to acquire more than 450 children's book titles in the U.S. from publisher Marshall Cavendish.

Americans are dining out at about the same rate they did last year, stunting the growth of the restaurant industry in an economy that remains sluggish.

Chipmaker Broadcom's chief executive downplayed the risk to tech sales from Europe's debt crisis, saying expectations have already been lowered and that demand would stay strong in the long term.

Amazon.com Inc is known as the world's largest online retailer, but the company is aggressively expanding in online advertising, putting it on course for a clash with Google Inc, the leader in the space.

Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it agreed to acquire more than 450 children's book titles in the U.S. from publisher Marshall Cavendish.

Verizon Communications Inc plans to launch a standalone service allowing customers to stream movies and television shows over the Web, in a fresh challenge to Netflix Inc and the traditional cable TV business, according to several people briefed on the plan.

Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of Chrysler Group LLC and Fiat SpA, is guardedly optimistic the European Union will take steps this week to help the euro regain its credibility.

Newt Gingrich has been attacked by multiple pro-gun groups for supposedly supporting gun control legislation.

U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, returned to Damascus on Tuesday after being removed from the country for his own safety in October.

The move has put ExxonMobil in the cross hairs of the Iraqi central government who maintains the exploration contracts the company signed with Kurdish officials last month are illegal.