CHINA

Globally, the number of smartphone users has risen above a billion for the first time ever, in the third quarter of 2012, a report released by US research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics stated Wednesday.

Questions about pay equity and gun control finally came up, and Romney tried to convince Americans that his tax policy plan's math adds up.

The company admitted that some students in its summer internship were below the Chinese legal minimum working age of 16.

Despite a huge U.S. federal debt and prospects of a so-called fiscal cliff, foreign governments continue to snap up U.S. government debt.

Microsoft announced that a special limited-quantity pre-order for Surface with Windows RT had been made available at 9 a.m. PDT on Tuesday. The announcement about pre-orders came after the company revealed the price and market availability details both of its ARM-based Surface RT tablets.

After being widely criticized for appearing disengaged in round one, President Obama comes out swinging.

The South African rhino population is approaching a mathematical brink that could eventually spell the end of a species.

76-year-old Zhu Shumei has played basketball every day for 20 years as an escape from her rough life.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reports that the deserted nuclear experiment site where scientists worked more than half a century ago to develop the county’s first atomic bomb will soon open to the public in an attempt to boost "red tourism."

India's Supreme Court said Tuesday that tourism could continue within tiger reserves.

China is still widely expected to undershoot the 7.5% growth rate mandated by Beijing for 2012 when it reports 3Q GDP Thursday.

Asian shares rose Tuesday after rallies in U.S. stocks and positive U.S. data cheered investors, with hopes for some progress in the euro zone crisis also helping.

A completely redesigned 21-inch iMac, as well as a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, have reportedly been discovered in China, which leads many to believe that these devices will be unveiled at Apple’s alleged “iPad Mini” media event on Oct. 23.

Despite reports from the U.S. and China of growing economies, traders ignored the data, focusing on a downbeat forecast.

Former king of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk died Monday in Beijing of natural causes at the age of 89.

Asian stock markets were mixed Monday as concerns over weak corporate earnings and inconclusive Chinese economic data weighed on the sentiment.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open Monday ahead of the Commerce Department's retail sales report and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

The rate of inflation in China slowed down in September from the previous month, showing signs of a gradual decline in price pressure to make room for monetary easing.

Most of the Asian stocks fell Monday as investor sentiment was weighed down by concerns of weakening global economy, which undermined the data from China showing lowering of inflation rate in September

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will cover both domestic and foreign policies during the second U.S. presidential debate Tuesday.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Sunday tried to refute arguments that the central bank’s aggressive monetary easing has sparked a global “currency war” that risks destabilizing emerging market economies.