INVESTMENT

Stock markets in China and Hong Kong declined Tuesday, following losses on the Wall Street overnight as the early optimism over the Spanish bailout plan faded.

Asian markets reversed the previous day's hefty gains on Tuesday as a European bailout for Spain's debt-stricken banks failed to convince investors that the spread of the debt crisis in Europe will be halted.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said her administration's environmental policies have had no influence on the coal industry's current hardships, despite enforcing tougher emission standards the industry says increases their costs and dampens demand for coal.

Political and economic decisions over the next week have serious consequences for the country's future.

China's May data dump over the weekend and on Monday painted a mixed picture of the economic health of the world's second-largest economy.

Since the eruption of violence, 500 houses have been burned or razed in the region, while 5,000 people have become homeless.

So much for doubling down on secrecy. On Friday, several San Francisco residents snapped photos of banners being raised in the Moscone Center's west exhibition hall, one of the event sites for Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), for the iOS 6. Even though WWDC 2012 will apparently center around the Mac, Apple will nevertheless find time to introduce developers to new tools and features for the iPhone's and iPad's next-generation operating system.

Credit rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) Monday said that India could lose its investment grade rating due to its weak GDP growth rate and political roadblocks to economic policymaking.

Standard & Poor's said on Monday that India could become the first of the so-called BRIC economies to lose its investment-grade status, sending the rupee and stocks lower, less than two months after cutting its rating outlook for the country.

Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta, who is accused of insider trading, will not testify in his own defense, according to a letter written by his main lawyer to the U.S. District Judge in New York.

Warren Buffett can afford to lay down hunks of cash for a really nice dinner at a swanky restaurant. But how much money would you spend to have lunch with the Nebraska billionaire?

As we have long expected, China is beginning to decelerate.

A new documentary about Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has sparked controversy among Chileans who have haunting memories of the military regime years when many people, targeted as political dissidents, were imprisoned, tortured, executed or disappeared.

Without a stronger effort by the central banks -- in the form of a coordinated quantitative easing measure to correct the ailing European banking system -- the global economy (at best) will only limb along.

The world's economies have fallen to their weakest level since the recession officially ended in 2009. German and U.S. bonds actually charge buyers interest rather than pay buyers interest. The euro zone's survival appears at genuine risk and China's red-hot economy, the second-biggest in the world, is not so red hot any more.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK), the nation's second largest natural gas producer, is seeking to patch its $22 billion shortfall brought on by dropping natural gas prices by selling its midstream pipeline assets to Global Infrastructure Partners for $4 billion, the company announced Friday.

Chinese shares edged higher Friday after the People's Bank of China lowered benchmark interest rates for the first time in three years to boost economic growth.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Thursday were: Molina Healthcare, Centene Corp, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Ivanhoe Mines and MGIC Investment Corp. The top aftermarket NYSE losers were: Cooper Companies, Ellie Mae, FleetCor Technologies, Flotek Industries and Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.

Not a chance.

Sino-Japanese joint venture National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS) has paid a paltry 1.5 billion to 1.8 billion kronor ($210 to $250 million) for defunct Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile AB.

Manchester United could be set for a midfield overhaul this summer, while there is further speculation about a new left-back and an exciting young talent.