NEW YORK

Stocks and other risky assets rallied Monday after a widely followed U.S. manufacturing index suggested activity in that industrial sector further strengthened in March.

United Nations special envoy Kofi Annan told the Security Council that Assad had agreed to withdraw forces from population centers and stop using heavy weapons early next week.

In a 5-4 decision Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court said security at jail facilities trumps privacy rights for those who undergo invasive strip searches, even for small offenses.

Chocolate might lead to weight loss but that is not the only thing the creamy confection is good for. At the Salon du Chocolat held in Zurich on March 29, topless models were decked out in outfits, jewelry and hats made of chocolate.

Mad Men takes place in the 60s, but got the attention of modern-day politicos when a character in the AMC show took a slap at Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's father.

Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks is to undergo surgery on his left knee that could potentially bench him through the rest of the regular season, according to NY1. The 23-year-old point guard has missed the last three games due to what he thought was a sore knee. But an MRI revealed that it was actually a torn meniscus. Lin addressed reporters, explaining that the surgery will allow him to play again.

The United States Census Bureau rejected New York City's challenge to the 2010 Census results on Sunday. The Bureau maintains that its numbers were accurate, totaling the city's population at 8.2 million. However, city officials argue that the number was actually closer to 8.4 million, according to NY1.

PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP), the world's second-largest food and beverage company, claimed the No.784 spot on the IBTimes 1000 list by expanding aggressively in emerging markets and catering to consumers' demand for healthier food and beverages.

30 Rock star Alec Baldwin got engaged to his 28-year-old girlfriend Hilaria Thomas, just in time for his 54th birthday on Tuesday. Baldwin allegedly popped the question over a trip to Long Island according to NY Daily News.

The pace of growth in manufacturing picked up last month, but construction spending saw its largest drop in seven months in February, pointing to an economy that is healing gradually.

Could Kentucky's coach leave for the NBA?

A major donor to President Barack Obama's re-election effort is accused of impersonating a bank official to defraud a businessman of more than $650,000.

Wall Street advanced on Monday, the first trading day of the second quarter, as upbeat Chinese and manufacturing data overshadowed a report showing continued softness in Europe.

Special envoy Kofi Annan met Monday with the U.N. Security Council in New York to discuss the progress of his cease-fire and peace plan aimed at ending a brutal crackdown by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad against rebel fighters.

Johan Santana is back for the New York Mets after losing all of last season to shoulder surgery. He will start on opening day.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (NYSE: KKR) said Monday it agreed to buy natural gas properties in Texas and Oklahoma from WPX Energy Inc. (NYSE: WPX) for $306 million, the latest in the private-equity's spate of U.S. energy acquisitions.

Jeremy Lin could be return in less than six weeks from his injury.

Kris Humphries wants a public admission from Kim Kardashian about their marriage.

Countless landmarks captured in photos around the world went dark on Saturday, March 31, 2012 as a part of the Earth Hour celebration to raise awareness in a global effort for climate change.

Meanwhile, take a look at some of the historic moments of the Falklands War.

Even after OJ Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in what was known as the “trial of the century”, the football legend is now serving a 33-year sentence for an armed robbery crime that he committed in 2007.