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Asian stock markets mostly advanced Thursday as better-than-expected economic data from the US buoyed sentiment, but gains were capped as investors are being cautious ahead of the EU summit later in the day.

Japan?s retail sales growth slowed down in the year to May compared to April indicating that private consumption is getting affected by the faltering global economic conditions.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took charge of the finance ministry on Wednesday and has initiated action to set up a unified mechanism for the ministry. The prime minister held a meeting with his key advisors and officials in this regard on Wednesday, local media reports said.

Applesauce might be on the menu if Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) doesn't take swift actions to ameliorate members of a coalition representing Iranian-Americans and speakers of Farsi who were allegedly denied sale of iPads and other merchandise by Apple store employees in recent weeks.

?The time has come to do something more drastic toward economic transformation and freedom,? Zuma said.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is returning to China, but this time the world's largest electronics retailer is returning as a smaller version of its previous self.

The collection of new Saab Automobile AB 9-3, 9-4 and 9-5 cars that have been languishing in U.S. ports following the company's bankruptcy will be liquidated at auction beginning on June 28 with a lot in Newark, N.J.

Asian stock markets mostly advanced Wednesday but gains were capped as investors are opting for caution ahead of the EU summit that begins on Thursday.

Apple has released a stand-alone podcast app that gives users direct access to their podcasts without having to go through iTunes.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, a 540-year-old financial institution commonly called Europe's oldest bank, was the newest Continental house of finance to receive a government bailout, after the Italian Treasury granted the bank a ?3.9 billion ($4.87 billion) credit lifeline Tuesday. The rescue came even though Monte dei Paschi is seen as basically insolvent by the markets and is led by a banker currently under criminal indictment.

The price of crude oil fell Tuesday to less than $79 on the U.S. wholesale market, cutting the value of the commodity by about one-third since early March.

Zuma?s ruling party has proposed that the nation?s key mining sector pay more in taxes to finance social spending and also wants to encourage state-owned enterprises to create more jobs.

Indian Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee - the ruling party UPA's candidate for the presidential candidate- resigned from the post and bid farewell to active politics on Tuesday.

Stereo systems. Clock radios. External speakers. In-car entertainment. It's possible that none of these iPhone accessories will be compatible with Apple's upcoming sixth-generation iPhone, presumably called the iPhone 5.

The Amazon.com Inc. launch of AmazonSupply in April indicates the shift to online from offline commerce continues apace among industrial consumers, which increasingly prefer to buy goods electronically.

Expectations for U.S. company earnings are on a slippery slope down Wall Street as the euro-zone crisis deepens and economic data around the world disappoints. With one week left in the second quarter, it is a good time to measure revisions in earnings estimates for companies in the S&P 500.

Apple Inc. has become embroiled in controversy after reports that Atlanta-area Apple Store employees refused sale of iPads and other merchandise to Farsi speakers and people of Iranian descent. At the center of the accusations of racial profiling is how the company is interpreting the U.S. embargo on Iran.

Tesla Motors Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) will begin deliveries of test-drivable, production versions of its long-awaited successor to the Roadster electric car, the Model S sedan on Friday.

Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG), the largest U.S. drugstore operator, is facing challenges it has never seen in its 111-year history, and this week it responded to those challenges with a high-stakes strategic move.

After allegations of racial profiling by Apple Inc. employees against Farsi-speaking customers at Apple stores, the company issued a statement Friday saying it doesn't discriminate against anyone, but it failed to address accusations of specific incidents at Atlanta-area stores.

Wrapping up some fairly important Canadian data this week, CPI numbers were released earlier this morning and showed that inflationary pressures are easing somewhat, continuing to stay of the south side of the Bank of Canada's target.