CHINA

Iran rejected a proposal to curb uranium enrichment during the second day of nuclear talks with Western powers in Baghdad Thursday.

Police in China arrested a young couple they say buried a 68-year-old woman alive because they believed they killed her in a drunk-driving crash.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Thursday are: Hewlett-Packard Company, Activision Blizzard Inc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Arch Coal Inc., Aviva Plc, Siemens AG and China Telecom Corporation Limited.

A scathing new report details the way the United States is failing to attract and retain the immigrant workers -- skilled and unskilled -- who are crucial to thriving in a global economy.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a lower opening Thursday ahead of initial jobless claims and durable orders data.

Asian markets fell Thursday on increasing concerns about the debt crisis looming over the euro zone as national leaders were unable to present specific steps to overcome the situation in Europe.

China's manufacturing activity fell in May compared to April and continued to contract for the seventh straight month, according to the preliminary HSBC Flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) released Thursday.

The Philippines is getting ships and assistance from other countries as it faces off against China, but it's still a far cry from matching Beijing's military capabilities

The latest call to arms comes as world powers met with Iran for talks in Baghdad, with the Iranians promising a new and comprehensive package of proposals.

Ifeadi called the Chinese scavengers who were taking jobs that should be the exclusive preserve of Nigerian people.

According to a new report from the Global Business Travel Association, 12- to 15-hour flights to China may soon become the norm for U.S. and European business travelers.

An annual GDP growth rate of 8 percent would be an economic miracle in most of the world. In China, it has the government looking for ways to help the economy grow more -- but not by spending indiscriminately for stimulus plans.

Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M), the owner of its namesake and Bloomingdale's department stores, said Wednesday it will start selling some of the department store chain's private label merchandise directly to consumers in China next spring through a deal with a Chinese online retailer.

The World Bank lowered on Wednesday its 2012 China growth forecast to 8.2 percent from 8.4 percent on faltering demand for exports in the U.S. and Europe and a slowdown in the Chinese real estate market. The bank urged the entire region to focus on spurring domestic demand and reduce its dependence on exports.

Public toilets in Beijing have been set new standards for cleanliness, with rules stipulating that they should not contain more than two flies at any one given time.

Fans are gearing up for the next installment in Treyarch and Activision?s military first-person shooter franchise. ?Call of Duty: Black Ops 2? will be released just in time for the holiday season on Nov. 13th and will take place in a futuristic Los Angeles setting.

In 2010 Microsoft filed a lawsuit against Motorola over patent fees for Xbox 360 technology. The phone manufacturer then countered with a lawsuit against Microsoft that could affect Xbox 360 sales in the United States.

After his visit to Las Vegas, Nev. for the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, Ray J was so partied out that he had to be hospitalized for exhaustion, according to his rep. Ray J, 31, landed in the hospital Monday morning when exhaustion set in after a night of partying for a product launch party, according to a statement from his spokesperson, and will remain there for treatment for exhaustion and jet lag for an undisclosed amount of time.

The talks between representatives of the U.S., Russia, France, Britain, Germany, China and Iran are aimed at diffusing rising tension in the region, with Iran seeking a reprieve from crippling sanctions imposed on its energy and banking sectors.

China will step up policy fine-tuning to support the economy, which faces increasing downward pressures, Premier Wen Jiabao said at a regular cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Comments regarding a rebound in the Chinese economy from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development lifted stocks earlier Tuesday and kept Asian and European bourses in the green. The comments came after Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said last weekend his government would focus more on growth than inflation.