CHINA

Asian stock markets declined for the first time in five days Friday as weaker-than-expected Chinese trade data stoked fears of a growth slowdown in the world's second largest economy.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open Friday as China's trade data for July fell short of expectations.

European markets fell Friday as investor confidence was weighed down following disappointing trade data from China giving further indication that the global economic condition is faltering.

China reported a trade surplus of $25.1 billion in July amid slower-than-expected growth in exports and imports, raising the concern that the world's second largest economy isn't doing enough to stimulate the economy and avert a slowdown.

Most of the Asian markets fell Friday as investors were disappointed to note that China's trade balance for July was worse than expected, increasing concerns about the faltering economic condition.

The 2012 Olympics medal count of shame is a list curated by the Wall Street Journal during the London Games which shows that though Britain has done stunningly well when it comes to bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals, its athletes have also had by far the most last, second-to-last and third-to-last performances of any nation this year.

Iowa, the largest state grower of corn and soy, has seen the size of its territory under extreme drought conditions rise from almost 31 percent last week to nearly 70 percent since Tuesday.

Maybe you’ve heard the accusations that the opening ceremony was a leftist propaganda campaign. That’s all true, but it goes far deeper than that.

Kenya has thrown in a bid, along with Egypt and South Africa, to be the first African nation to host the Olympics in 2024. But the Kenyan economy might not be able to handle the financial burden.

Pakistanis consume heroin valued at $1.2 billion every year.

According to a new IDC report, Android and iOS together accounted for 85 percent of all smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2012, establishing a new combined high for the mobile operating systems from Google and Apple.

Technology may have a good second half of 2012 after all, despite all the fears of economic collapse, lower demand for PCs and other worries. After Computer Sciences reported better-than-expected results on Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard said third-quarter results would be stronger, too.

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Thursday ahead of the Labor Department's weekly jobless claims data and the Bureau of Economic Analysis' trade balance report.

Asian stock markets advanced for the fourth straight session Thursday after data showed that Chinese inflation continued to cool down in July, providing more room for further policy easing to boost growth.

European markets rose Thursday as investor confidence was lifted by hopes that China will announce stimulus measures to boost the economic condition and regain the growth momentum.

Crude oil futures advanced during the Asian trading hours Thursday after data showed Chinese inflation continued to cooled for a fourth straight month in July, rising hopes for monetary easing measures to support growth.

China’s industrial production grew at a reduced pace in July compared to June indicating that the weakening global demand and the debt burden faced by the euro zone are adversely affecting the country's economy.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Wednesday were Millennial Media, FleetCor Technologies, NQ Mobile, Dillard's, Orbitz Worldwide and MBIA, Inc. The top after-market NYSE losers were Medicis Pharmaceutical, Teekay Tankers, McEwen Mining, China Nepstar Chain Drugstore and ING Groep NV.

Most of the Asian markets rose Thursday as hopes for monetary easing measures to be announced by China grew following reports that the country's inflation slowed down in July compared to the previous month.

China announced Thursday morning that its inflation cooled for a fourth straight month in July.

Allyson Felix won gold in the 200 meters on Wednesday.