CHINA

Stocks extended January's rally, climbing more than 1 percent, on Wednesday after upbeat global manufacturing data and as Greece neared a long-delayed deal on its debt.

On Wednesday, 25 Chinese workers were released from 15 hours of captivity in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. They were kidnapped just yesterday by Bedouin tribesmen, who were demanding the freedom of five relatives. The Chinese workers were returned to their hotel unharmed.

A potentially deadlier form of the bird flu virus poses one of the gravest known threats to humans and justifies an unprecedented call to censor the research that produced it, a top U.S. biosecurity official said on Tuesday.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday as upbeat economic data out of China and Germany eased concerns about the global economy and Greece neared a long-delayed deal on a debt swap.

Crumbling global demand restrained factory output in Asia and most of Europe in January, business surveys showed on Wednesday, putting pressure on policymakers to shore up growth and counter a spreading malaise.

They also demanded that the Hong Kong government do something to reduce the numbers of Mainland Chinese who arrive daily,

The Chinese yuan has been a laggard in Asia in the year so far while other regional currencies, including the Japanese yen, are posting strong gains against the U.S. dollar (USD) and the euro (EUR).

Stock index futures suggested a higher open on Wednesday after better-than-expected data out of China and Germany and as Greece inched closer to a debt deal, though recent market action suggested gains could be ephemeral.

Even as the protests against Apple's workers mistreatment practice are surging incessantly, there are still thousands of Chinese job seekers who are lining up in front of the gates of Foxconn, the company's major product manufacturer in China, hoping that they will be hired to work on iPhone 5 production.

Stock index futures jumped on Wednesday after better-than-expected data out of China and Germany and as Greece inched closer to a debt deal, but recent market action suggested gains could be ephemeral.

The BSE Sensex rebounded in late trade on Wednesday to post its highest close in 12 weeks, as metal producers and auto makers jumped, although investors were doubtful the rally could be sustained after a rise of nearly 12 percent so far this year.

Chinese government representatives directed a U.S. businessman to obtain valuable technology manufactured by chemical giant DuPont and U.S. authorities were seeking on Wednesday to keep him in jail ahead of his trial on charges relating to trade secret theft, prosecutors said in newly released court documents.

China began Wednesday streaming live video footage of its pandas around the world via webcam in an attempt to boost awareness of conservation efforts for its beloved but endangered animal ambassadors.

Facebook Inc. will list a preliminary fund-raising goal of $5 billion on Wednesday, which is smaller than some earlier estimates of the offering. The public stock offering will probably value the company at $80 billion to $100 billion. But how did simple status updates and random photos of users help create what will likely be the biggest tech IPO in till date? Let's try to find out here...

China's factory sector expanded slightly in January, confounding expectations for a contraction and supporting hopes the world's second-biggest economy will avoid a hard landing, a government purchasing managers' index showed.

Stocks rose and the euro steadied on Wednesday as investors remained on guard ahead of the release of manufacturing surveys from the Europe's biggest economies after China's powerful factories showed a slight expansion.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers Tuesday were: Molina Healthcare, Brunswick, W.R. Berkley, Manitowoc Co and Gafisa SA. The top aftermarket NYSE losers were: Unisys Corp, Medical Properties Trust, Oasis Petroleum, Skilled Healthcare Group and E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc.

Apple Inc. just can't lose. After becoming one of the most valuable companies in the world (the market cap is currently at $425.61 billion), Apple followed up by becoming the top PC maker in the world. The achievement is a testament to the company's ability to sell innovative products and to its rabid fan base. Whether Apple is able to remain the top PC maker remains largely dependent on new senior vice president of retail operations John Browett's ability to keep sales strong.

A leading indicator of the state of global industry -- whose biggest dips in the past have come just before the world economy fell into recession -- is dropping like a lead anchor. Some savvy market forecasters are saying this should be sounding alarm bells. But what do the experts who actually work in shipping have to say?

The Columbus, Ind.-based company is expected to earn $424 million, or $2.24 per share, up from 362 million or $1.84 per share in the year earlier period, estimates carried by Thomson Reuters said. Analysts expect revenue of $4.7 billion, up from $4.1 billion in the year earlier period.

India's potential combat jet deal with preferred bidder Dassault Aviation is one of the many the country wants to implement. It plans to spend about $50 billion over the next five years to upgrade its military.