CHINA

The World Chocolate Wonderland, China's first chocolate themed park opened its annual exhibition with a fashion show featuring ensembles made from the tasty treat. Models clad in haute chocolate instead of haute couture that looked good enough to eat took to the runway on Dec.15, 2011.

As the most valuable technology company in the world, Apple really has a powerful influence. Any product from Apple stable sells like hot cakes, such as iPad, iPod, iPhone and MacBook Air. Apple is also known for implementing cutting-edge design on its lifestyle products and envied by others for the same reason.

Keanu Reeves has secured financing and distribution for his directorial debut, the martial-arts film Man of Tai Chi.

Cain then fell from the polls and bowed out of the race. But he's told Barbara Walters in an interview that aired Wednesday night as one of the 10 Most Fascinating People of the year that if given the opportunity for a cabinet position, he would choose this one -- Secretary of Defense.

An improvement in the U.S. employment picture last week and a rise in regional factory activity suggested an emerging divide between resiliency in the U.S. economy and faltering growth in Europe and Asia.

Is the Iran drone real and what does is say about the relationship between the United States and Iran.

U.S. overspending on the military has diverted resources from civilian / social investments, including public goods, weakening the U.S. economy, and, by extension weakening the nation. If it doesn’t substantially cut defense spending, the U.S.’s empire will likely share the fate of two other empires that overspent on the military -- the British Empire and the Soviet Union.

Of course, when a leader is pressed by domestic trouble, his thoughts turn immediately, as they do for all leaders, to distracting the population with a foreign enemy. And today, that would be us.

Brazilian antitrust authorities approved the merger of Chili's LAN Airlines and Brazil's TAM Airlines creating the third-largest airline in the world.

Along the road to one of China's most famous tourist landmarks - the Great Wall of China - lies the crumbling remains of what was to be the largest amusement park in Asia, Wonderland.

Breaking Bad and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close were snubbed

The pace of decline in the euro zone private sector eased unexpectedly in December, but the global toll of the region's sovereign debt crisis became clearer on Thursday with news of falling investment and factory activity in China.

Major Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Thursday for the third day, led by banks and commodities as a decline in Chinese factory output added to worries about the global economy and Europe's debt crisis.

China has fired a warning shot with its decision to impose tariffs on imports of sport-utility vehicles and other large cars from the United States as both countries gear up for increased trade friction next year.

For tycoon Cheng Yu-Tung, 86, listing his jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook, the world's largest, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange paves the way for his younger generation to strengthen its position in China's glittering market.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.5 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.5 percent at 0906 GMT.

The Pakistan Senate has unanimously passed two bills, on Dec. 12, which awards strict punishments to those accused of throwing acid on women.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.3 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.5 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.5 percent at 0906 GMT.

Two of Hong Kong's biggest recent initial public offerings slumped in their trading debuts on Thursday, falling victim to weak investor demand that has pressured new listings in the once booming global IPO powerhouse.

China's economic growth could be slowing further as data on Thursday showed the first year-on-year drop in foreign direct investment in 28 months and a fresh fall in new orders signaled a further contraction in factory activity.

The euro steadied just off new 11-month lows on Thursday, with eyes fixed on a Swiss National Bank meeting to consider its campaign of currency intervention while a Spanish bond auction will offer more signs on the depth of Europe's debt crisis.