EMERGING MARKETS

World stocks hit a fresh one-year low on Thursday and investors poured money into safer currencies and government bonds after the Federal Reserve gave a grim outlook for the U.S. economy and China's manufacturing slowed.

Get ready to digest another rumor on the Apple iPhone 5 release date. AllThingsD reported Wednesday that sources have confirmed that Apple will hold a media event on Oct. 4 to unveil the iPhone 5.

Apple is expected to launch its anticipated next-generation iPhone 5 on October 4, and while it should feature a number of bells and whistles, it will probably lack 4G ... for now.

Top Congressional Republicans on Tuesday took the unusual step of telling the Federal Reserve to refrain from further intervention in the economy on the eve of the central bank's policy decision.

South Africa's rand briefly ploughed a fresh 14-month low against the dollar on Tuesday before wiping out most of those losses as comments that Italy is not likely to default on its debt helped ease some of the risk aversion that has beset emerging markets.

As tech enthusiasts are waiting eagerly for iPhone 5, a Wall Street analyst has said that the iPhone 4 successor would arrive in early October and it may not be a 4G LTE device as speculated in the market.

Research In Motion's dismal quarterly results, the latest in a string of disappointments by the BlackBerry maker, could prove a boon to prospective buyers eyeing its treasure trove of wireless patents.

South Africa's government bonds reversed losses on Thursday and yields fell as investors drifted back into local debt to snap up bargains following a couple of days of heavy selling when risk aversion hit emerging markets.

Gold could rally through $2,000 an ounce by year's end, according to a Thomson Reuters GFMS report released Thursday.

The World Bank is investing in a hedge fund in order to help banks reduce capital that new rules will force them to set aside against loans to small companies in emerging markets, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Being politically connected isn't what it used to be for corporate India.

The energy-thirsty United States is on the hunt for a game-changing energy source or energy usage technology -- and batteries and fuel cells are strong candidates. But their mass use could be 20 years away. Meanwhile, a conventional source may bridge that gap, or provide even more upside: natural gas.

South Africa's finances are sound but the risk of high indebtedness by both the government and individuals lurks if no action is taken now, Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said.

China's economic growth may ease to below 9 percent in 2012, partly due to a weak global economy, a senior Chinese foreign exchange official said on Tuesday, backing market expectations that the world's No. 2 economy is set for a mild easing.

Some of the world's richest families are cutting their holdings in gold to take profits on the run-up in prices and are buying high-end art to preserve their wealth during market turmoil, an executive advising these families.

The value of palladium, the least known of the world's four major precious metals, is set to rise this year, perhaps more sharply than its more popular cousins.

Hong Kong shares gained for a second-straight session on Tuesday, but trading was thin as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of economic data releases from China and the United States this week.

Samsung unveiled three smartphone models which run on Samsung's own bada OS, in an attempt to diversify its product lineup which heavily focuses on Google's Android. The unveiling of the new Wave models by Samsung, a major Android OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), is considered a major strategic development for the firm which was focusing only on hardware markets.

Another analyst has weighed in with his predictions of when Apple will unveil the much-awaited next iPhone.

Steve Jobs resigned as Apple's Chief Executive on Wednesday and handed over the reins to Tim Cook, who was the company's Chief Operating Officer and had been assuming Jobs' role in his absence.

The latest one from the rumor mill is that the iPhone 5 with a materially revamped user interface will come only in 2012, and Apple will launch only an iPhone 4S in the fall.