UNITED STATES

After months of anticipation and expectations, the New iPad from Apple has finally been announced. The device will hit the shelves March 16 and will be priced from $499-$829, which is similar to the previous iPad 2.

International Women's Day celebrations in 2012 -- a year that has already been permanently marked by social movements, elections and crises -- have taken a political and, in some cases sombre, tone in many countries.

Apple Inc's new 4G-equipped iPad will cement the company's market dominance, and ward off competition from a slew of Windows 8-based tablets due later this year, while a cheaper iPad 2 will see stronger demand, said analysts.

The Obama re-election campaign has dropped a trailer for the first-term documentary it's been promising.

A strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival on Thursday could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, U.S. space weather experts said.

Gold rose Thursday, led by a climb in the euro on the back of growing confidence in Greece's ability to complete a bond swap to avoid defaulting on its debt, and by evidence that this week's decline to six-week lows had lifted investor demand.

International Women's Day 2012, on March 8, marks the 101st time the international holiday has been celebrated, a tribute Google looks to honor with its latest Google Doodle. From what this year's design means to what the founder of the International Women's Day web site thinks of tributes like the Doodle, here are five things to know about the 2012 tribute.

Co-founder of Miramax Films Harvey Weinstein says he turned down a movie pitch from the President of the United States.

Gadget lovers in India can now own an iPad 2 for 24,500 rupees, with Apple Inc slashing its price worldwide on Thursday following the launch of a new third-generation, 4G-ready tablet.

New Hampshire's Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to exempt religious institutions from having to include contraceptive coverage in health insurance plans.

Claims for jobless benefits rose to 362,000, but is still hovering around a 4-year low for the fourth consecutive weeks, underscoring Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's view that the U.S. economy has to show stronger growth to ensure that more Americans can find jobs.

Bank of America NA prevented homeowners from receiving mortgage-loan modifications under a federal program in order to avoid millions of dollars in losses while benefitting from financial incentives for participating in the program, according to a complaint unsealed in federal court Wednesday.

Toyota will recall approximately 681,500 Camry, Tacoma and Venza model cars amid safety concerns, the company said Wednesday.

U.S. employers planned slightly fewer layoffs in February than the previous month, but the overall pace of corporate downsizing is up 18 percent over last year, global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. said in a report Thursday.

You can watch the ACC Tournament live, online, which begins Thursday in Atlanta.

As the company's latest tablet was unveiled, activists renewed complaints that labor conditions remain deplorable at Apple vendors' factories. The group SumOfUs is calling on Apple to prove that it follows the law.

Terry is a Catholic, pro-life Democratic presidential candidate running in the Democratic primary and his motto is Life, Liberty and Justice Under God, according to his website.

Turkey has proved itself to be Somalia's best friend, and may the only country in the world actively trying to make Somalia a better place.

Long-serving Syrian deputy oil minister Abdo Hussameddin became the highest-ranking official in the country to join the anti-regime movement when he gave up his portfolio Thursday.

Leading U.S. software and technology companies on Wednesday pressed President Barack Obama's administration for quick action on a new Indian government policy that they said threatens U.S. exports to the fast-growing economy.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a higher opening on Thursday ahead of key weekly jobless claims from the government.