BUSINESS

Tasmania, which has one of the highest rates of smoking among youth in Australia, would be the first place in the world to impose such an age-based ban.

Are you entitled or empowered? Do you feel you are owed, or do you feel you own something? This simple choice reflects your view of the world. It stands for your self-image.

At present, the widest wealth gap is found in Guatemala, while Venezuela boasts the most equitable income distribution in the region.

The announcement Wednesday that the notoriously fangless British Financial Services Authority is going after the most blatant fraudsters in U.K. finance opened a window on some of the sleaziest financial hucksterism in Great Britain.

Three websites accused of copyright infringement for allowing the illegal download of Android apps have been taken down. Applanet.net, Appbucket.net and Snappzmarket.com have all been seized by the FBI.

We're less than a month away from the alleged unveiling date for the iPhone 5, and Apple fans can't wait to get their hands on the company's latest model, which promises a new exterior design and hundreds of new features inside. While selling an old smartphone or iPhone before the next one releases has a few benefits, by and large, most users should wait to sell their old iPhones to buy an iPhone 5. We explain five reasons to wait it out.

With rumors swirling that the next generation iPhone will have a Sept. 12 release date and hit stores on Sept. 21, many are wondering what they can do with their old iPhone or recently purchased iPhone. But Gazelle, one of the nation's largest consumer electronics trade-in site, has the answer. Gazelle will extend its iPhone buyback deal with the current August price locked in until October so that consumers can take advantage of the highly anticipated new iPhone. But how exactly does a custo...

Platinum rose to its highest level since early May on Wednesday and was set for its biggest weekly gain in 10 months as spreading labor unrest in top producer South Africa cast doubt over output for the year.

Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the western Denmark-based energy company and the world's largest maker of wind turbines, announced Wednesday that it is letting go of 1,400 workers - a 7 percent cut of its entire workforce.

The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that the so-called fiscal cliff, the simultaneous tax hikes and government spending cuts that take effect Jan. 1, 2013, will send the U.S. economy into recession next year.

Mac OS X Mountain Lion has out in the wild for a month now, and by and large, users are very happy with Apple's biggest new cat. Apple will address some of the most common issues reported among early adopters of Mountain Lion in the 10.8.1 update, but on Tuesday, it's been reported that the first maintenance upgrade "substantially" improves battery life on MacBook laptops.

Apple’s iPhone 5 release is said to be the biggest handset launch in history—and for mobile subscribers in the U.K. the smartphone may represent a crucial first. If rumors hold up to be true, the iPhone 5 will support the first 4G LTE network in the U.K.

About 70,000 bank branches – including The State Bank of India, the nation’s largest public sector bank – will be idle.

Online auctioneer eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) will team with Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) to offer electronic payments in as many as seven million U.S. outlets next year, the companies announced. The move is intended to spur e-payments among users of smartphones.

Bank of America Corp. (BAC) discontinued credit protection services to customers as it came under scanner for allegations of customer enrollments through improper practices and charging customers without consent. A class action suit is reportedly pending against BAC on the issue.

The Florida home of Kate "Ma" Barker, matriarch of the infamous Barker gang from the "public enemy era," is currently up for sale. Check out photos of the 2,016 square foot estate

Shares of Dell (Nasdaq: DELL), the No. 3 PC maker, plunged more than 5 percent after the company reported poor second-quarter results and issued a forecast for lower sales ahead. In pre-market trading, shares fell as low as $11.72, down 62 cents.

Saudi Arabia will begin deep-water drilling in the Red Sea by the end of the year, says Khalid al Falih, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company.

Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), the world’s biggest computer company, has nowhere to go but up. Scheduled to report third-quarter financials after the market close Wednesday, investors and technologists will be watching for signs that its restructuring and massive write-offs are over.

Is the U.S. economy headed for a recession before it fully recovers from the last one? There's no better indicator to watch than trash.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is set to adapt a tougher visa regime that makes getting H-1B nonimmigrant visas harder for the U.S. companies. Once implemented, the DOL decision will hurt several companies that hire cheap and skilled workers from countries like India and China.

Toll Brothers Inc, Nokia Corp, Delhaize Group, First Solar Inc, Yelp, CenturyLink, Carnival Plc and Travelers Companies are among the companies whose shares are moving in the pre-market trading Wednesday.

Asian stock markets declined Wednesday as weaker-than-expected Japanese trade data dampened sentiment.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open Wednesday as investor confidence was weighed down by the report that Japan returned to trade deficit in July indicating a soft global demand and weakening economic growth momentum.

European markets fell Wednesday as investors were disappointed to note that Japan returned to trade deficit in July, which was another indication of the weakening global economic condition.

The top after-market Nasdaq gainers Tuesday were Vitesse Key Tronic Corporation, Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc, Affymax Inc, Fifth Third Bancorp and Warner Chilcott plc.The top after-market Nasdaq losers were Ultra Clean Holdings Inc, Dell Inc, Career Education Corporation, Thomas Properties Group and Amkor Technology Inc.

Gold on Wednesday hovered near a 3-1/2 month high hit in the previous session, as investors remained hopeful the European Central Bank would soon take action to contain the region's debt crisis.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Tuesday were Williams-Sonoma, La-Z-Boy Inc, Express, Inc, GenOn Energy and Pioneer Energy Services Corp. The top after-market NYSE losers were Qihoo 360 Technology, EnCana, Beazer Homes, Tim Hortons and Agrium Inc.

Bank employees in India began a two-day strike on Wednesday to protest against proposed reforms that would ease mergers and allow more private capital, including foreign investment, in the banking sector.