CHINA

European markets closed mostly lower in thin trade on Monday, with miners among the biggest fallers as weak Chinese housing data fueled worries about demand, and on further fading of optimism about a solution to the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il from a heart attack over the weekend has prompted an avalanche of reaction from around the globe.

North Koreans poured into the streets on Monday to mourn the death of iron leader Kim Jong-il as state media hailed his untested son as the Great Successor of the reclusive state whose atomic weapons ambitions are a major threat to the region.

GM operates in a partnership in China with state-run SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd and contends that providing parts and technology to Saab's new owners had the China investor deal gone through would have run counter to the interest of its own shareholders.

Gold prices hovered in a tight range Monday as doubts that Eurozone banks have enough access to cash and the uncertainties about the severity of the continent's recession offset physical demand from Asian buyers.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack while on a train trip, sparking immediate concern over who is in control of the reclusive state and its nuclear programme.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack while on a train trip, state media reported Monday morning, sparking immediate concern over who is in control of the reclusive state and its nuclear program.

Apple Inc supplier Pegatron said a small explosion at its subsidiary in Shanghai, China had injured some workers but would not have a big impact on production.

The U.S. housing market, once the epicenter of the global financial collapse that spawned today's European debt crisis, is on the verge of delivering some positive news.

Let it rain is a a popular online store based in Astoria, Oregon -- a place where it frequently rains -- that sells rain gear including boots and umbrellas that people are apparently buzzing about this Christmas, and buying from. Why, some have apparently gone so far is making rain boots become the traditional Christmas stocking.

China's November housing inflation eased to its lowest level in the year, a victory for Beijing's campaign to ward off property bubbles as it steadily loosens monetary policy to ensure a soft landing in the world's second-largest economy.

The World Trade Organization closed its biennial ministerial conference on Saturday with its chairman citing an improved atmosphere in the 153-member club but no concrete moves forward on the Doha round of world trade talks.

Hollywood has yet to shake off the Thanksgiving hangover, with box office receipts slumping in the weeks since the late November holiday.

Now something new has been added: in 2012, Ch. 55 will be owned by CBS, whose WCBS 2, has dominated local airwaves for years along with the other network-owned stations, Disney’s WABC 7, and NBCUniversal’s WNBC 4.

A unique deal to protect part of the annual bonus pool at UBS Australia expires within weeks, say sources with direct knowledge of the matter, raising the prospect that the business may lose some top talent should it not be renewed.

Visitors to Luoyang, China were shocked this week when the Jian (or Jianhe) river turned a lurid blood red overnight. Investigators found the blood-red shade came from an illegal chemical dumps by nearby plants, but locals claim the river often changes color from pollutants. Here, see pictures of China's eerie River of Blood.

In China to promote his new film, actor Christian Bale was assaulted by government-backed guards as he attempted to visit a prominent Chinese activist detained in his home in eastern Shandong Province.

'Dark Knight' star Christian Bale has been the center of cinematic buzz not just his for upcoming role as Batman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, but also for a China car chase after a visit to blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng turned sour.

Actor Christian Bale was roughed up by Chinese security guards as he attempted to visit a blind legal activist whose detention has sparked a domestic and international outcry, CNN reported on Friday.

Apple Inc is famous for relying on low-cost Asian manufacturers to both source and assemble its popular gadgets, but the consumer device giant recently started receiving a critical component in its iPad and iPhones from closer to home - Texas.

The fierce debate over anti-piracy legislation currently rocking Capitol Hill is pitting Hollywood against Silicon Valley, and has left some wondering if the latest effort to crack down on illegal downloads will be shot down over free speech concerns.