CHINA

Jenna Talackova, the transgender beauty queen who became the face of a social movement for equality when she was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada beauty pageant because she was born a male, can now compete in the Miss Universe Canada competition after all.

When will Apple release its next generation iPhone? Well, the Cupertino-based tech giant generally offers a new smartphone to its customers around June or July. But since the existing iPhone 4S was released in October last year, Apple fans around the world seem a bit confused about when to expect the next one, presumably called iPhone 5.

Most Asian stock markets advanced Tuesday as better-than-expected readings on US manufacturing and China's services industries data lifted sentiment while stronger yen hurt Japanese shares.

Nepal, the Himalayan state bordered by Asian giants China and India, has arguably achieved what its neighboring nations haven't even thought about: Preparations are underway in its mountainous terrain -- where the monarchy gave way to democracy only in 2008 -- to host the region's first sports competition for LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) community.

Asian shares rose Tuesday, riding on the back of strong gains in global equities overnight after solid manufacturing data from the United States and leading Asian exporters offset signs of mild recession in Europe.

Sherman shrugged off media reports that Iran was becoming a serious divisive issue between the U.S. and India.

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.

As the international community weighs options for halting the bloodshed in Syria, members of Congress and the Obama administration have emphasized alternatives to an outright military intervention.

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.

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.

Could Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) shares trade at $1,001? Analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets see that within 18 months when Apple closes its fiscal 2013.

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), the world’s largest coffee-shop chain, is planning to further tap into the massive Chinese market and triple the size of its workforce and local network of shops by 2014.

A few blades of dried grass with Mahatma Gandhi's bloodstains on them, collected from the spot in New Delhi where he was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1948, will go under the hammer in Shropshire, UK, on April 17.

China's official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, a gauge of manufacturing sector performance, unexpectedly jumped to the highest level in a year, while a rival index by HSBC showed further weakening in the sector.

Friday, the Dow gained 66.22 points, or 0.50 percent, to 13,212.04 at the close. The S&P 500 Index gained 5.19 points, or 0.37 percent, to 1,408.47, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 3.79 points, or 0.12 percent, to 3,091.57. The uptick capped U.S. stocks' strongest quarter in more than two years.

China's manufacturing sector expanded rapidly in March, confounding expectations of a contraction and easing fears about a potential hard landing for the world's second-biggest economy.

Most Asian stock markets ended with gains Monday as higher-than-expected reading of China’s official Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) boosted sentiment.

The top after-market NASDAQ gainers Friday were: Metabolix, AXT Inc, Echelon Corp, Ku6 Media Co, Saba Software and Penford Corp. The top after-market NASDAQ losers were: Nortek, TripAdvisor, Groupon, Vera Bradley, Illumina and Amsurg Corp.

(Reuters) - Asia's manufacturers stepped up the pace in March to fill an influx of new orders as Europe's debt crisis subsided and U.S. growth picked up, dispelling some of the gloom that had shrouded the global economy.

China's big factories were surprisingly busy in March as a stream of new orders lifted activity to an 11-month high, but credit-constrained smaller manufacturers struggled, suggesting that the economy is still losing steam.

The United States vowed to nearly double its funding to the Syrian opposition, and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised the Syrian people they will not be left alone.