Equities have jumped back into favor in the past week amid an improving economic landscape, and that?s been a bummer for gold bugs.

The two Silicon Valley giants have been wooing games developers to ensure top-tier games titles arrive first on devices powered by respective operating systems, say sources.

A series of recently released documents are putting the spotlight on some potentially embarrassing details of an inner corporate circle allegedly occupied by Apple, Googel, Intel and Adobe.

Asian shares are mixed, with stocks in Tokyo rising again after a harsh selloff two weeks ago, as investors focus on upcoming earnings reports and U.S. President Barack Obama?s visit to the region at a time of rising tensions.

As we enter the peak week of one of the weakest earnings seasons in several quarters with reports from Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp., the best strategy is to take the long-term view.

The early-spring sales season for the housing market is looking decidedly tepid. Officials will release monthly sales data this week for new and existing homes, and economists polled by MarketWatch expect that both series remain at lackluster rates in March.

Companies will be forced to declare their true owners on a public register in a move to tackle corruption, Business Secretary Vince Cable says.

Jaguar Land Rover is among a list of more than 100 winners of Queen's Awards for their success in international trade.

Scottish government agencies Scottish Enterprise and Visit Scotland have quit business lobby organisation CBI after it formally backed the campaign against Scottish independence.

Japan's trade deficit quadrupled last month compared to March 2013, as export growth slows and energy imports continue to rise.

A businessman appointed by the prime minister to head a multibillion-pound quango steps down after it was revealed that he was bankrupt.

The government is urged to end restrictions that prevent many garden centres in England and Wales from opening on Easter Sunday.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai court will decide this week whether to give embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra more time to defend herself against charges of abuse of power, accusations that could bring her down, or whether to move swiftly to a verdict.

SLAVIANSK/YENAKIEVO, Ukraine (Reuters) - At least three people were killed in a gunfight in the early hours of Sunday near a Ukrainian city controlled by pro-Russian separatists, shaking an already fragile international accord that was designed to avert a wider conflict.

PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - A tropical cyclone was threatening to hamper the search for a missing Malaysian jetliner in a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean on Monday, as a submarine drone neared the end of its mission scouring the sea bed with still no sign of wreckage.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, a move that may increase strains on Tokyo's ties with Asian neighbors China and South Korea.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Some 36,000 athletes, including Kenyan and Ethiopian runners who are consistently ranked among the world's fastest, will run in the 118th Boston Marathon on Monday, putting the world-renown race back in the spotlight after it was marred by last year's bombing attack.

JINDO, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Monday the actions of the captain and crew of a ferry that sank last week with hundreds feared dead were tantamount to murder, as authorities arrested four more officers of the vessel.

Dmytro Firtash has made billions brokering gas deals, but he now faces both a criminal indictment and a racketeering lawsuit in United States courts.

California farmers have never relied only on rain. But given a prolonged drought and environmental regulations, the jockeying for water is becoming more intense.

A lot of people will be watching to see how the Supreme Court rules over the legality of Aereo because of what it could mean for the broader media ecosystem.

The lawyer whose client says he was drugged and raped in 1999 by Bryan Singer, the ?X-Men: Days of Future Past? director, said defendants in the new suits had ties to Hollywood.

NBC is announcing a deal with the satellite radio service that will bring all four hours of its franchise morning news show to radio.

Four leading tech companies are pushing to settle a class-action suit with several noteworthy angles, including questions over employee rights and the death of a programmer who helped set the case in motion.

A look back at the history of Air Jordans, from 1985-2014.

intro: "Gamification," or applying game thinking to non-game activities, is a tech term that's been around long enough that many of the apps on our smartphones use the concept. And many times, we don't even realize we're part of a game with multiple purposes. Take for example, a new app called Wellapets, that teaches children how to care for their asthma with virtual pets. LifeGuard Games' CEO and founder Alex Ryu, 25, says some parents have told him children who don't have asthma have enjoyed playing the game without even realizing the health purpose behind it, and that's ok too. "We want it to be enjoyable," Ryu said. The app, developed by a Harvard Medical School student, features fire-breathing dragon pets on Apple iOS devices like iPhones or Android ones. The app teaches children to learn how to manage their asthma in a fun, interactive way. Here is more about Wellapets and more websites and apps that could gamify a wide range of activities in your life. quicklist: title: Children With Asthma media: 23352515 category: Wellapets text: Ryu, who is on leave from the Harvard Medical School, released Wellapets on March 28 with a team of three and while working with pediatricians from Boston Children's Hospital. The app is ideally for children ages 6 to 11 and free, though Ryu said he hopes to one day use a subscription model. "The greater vision is to use the virtual pet through a series of games to make children smarter and healthier," Ryu said. Other topics LifeGuard Games hopes to tackle are financial literacy and other health issues, possibly food allergies. quicklist: title: Running/Fitness media: 23352695 category: Runkeeper text: Runkeeper allows people to keep track of their running, cycling, hiking and several other physical activities. Share with your friends, sync with your goals and get healthy. The company recently introduced the Breeze app that tracks every step you take. quicklist: title: Health/Hitting the Gym media: 23352799 category: Pact text: Pact encourages positive behaviors, like going to the gym, by fining you money if you skip out on your commitment. The premise allows those who go to the gym according to their ?pact? to never pay money. You provide your credit card information when you first sign up and then you pay an amount of your choosing, if you do not follow your pact. Initially called GymPact, the company changed its name to Pact when it widened its use beyond going to your local health club. Read More: GymPact App Makes Workout Skippers Pay Up quicklist: title: Budgeting media: 23352876 category: Mint text: Mint is a personal finance app and website that encourages you to keep to your budgeting and saving goals. You can sync your bank accounts and credit cards. Feel shame and embarrassment when your savings goals are in the red and elation when you keep within your monthly restaurants budget. Read More: Wedding Registry App Lets Couples Add Items from Anywhere quicklist: title: Sleep/Fitness media: 23352923 category: Fitbit text: Fitness device Fitbit tracks every step you take and even how much you sleep and the quality of it. Walking urbanites can proudly share their number of steps when they compare with car-driving friends. Read More: Fitbit Recalls ?Force? Wristband in Rash Move Competitor Jawbone is also pushing its sleep function. quicklist: title: Learning a Language media: 23353018 category: Duolingo text: Using a quiz-style format of learning, Duolingo allows you to learn basic Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. The app is free and you can choose to start anywhere in a range of levels. quicklist: title: Dating media: 23353102 category: Coffee Meets Bagel text: "Quality dating made easy" is the tag line for Coffee Meets Bagel. Started by three sisters, the free service utilizes the Facebook networks of your friends for potential dates, with the premise that you may have a higher chance of compatibility in your social networks. Members receive one match, or bagel, daily at noon, then choose to "like" or "pass" their bagels. If two members "like" each other's profiles, they are matched and given the opportunity to meet in person. If you want to find out who is the social connection between you and your match (a.k.a. your mutual friend), you can pay money to the site. Read More: Tinder, Locals and Other Apps Give Online Dating a Makeover quicklist: title: Hooking Up media: 23353305 category: Tinder text: As Time Magazine describes Tinder: "Tinder is a smartphone app that at first seems like a higher tech version 'hot or not.' Users are shown photos of nearby potential matches and can swipe right to 'like' and left for 'nope.' Mutual right swipes result in a match, followed by the prompt to either send a message or 'keep playing.'" Fast-growing app Tinder instantly introduces you to your friends? friends, using the same premise of inclusive social networks that Coffee Meets Bagel uses. Except, Tinder has unofficially become the app for fast flings, instead of relationships, as reported in the most recent Olympic games in Russia. Yes, it apparently is popular with some athletes. Read More: Tinder Hook-Ups Off the Hook Among Sochi Athletes

From an island in the Bahamas with its own airplane landing strip to a woodsy getaway near Maine in Canadian waters, if you have the cash, you can live in paradise on your very own private island.

Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, or whatever else you want to call him, Sean Combs is numero uno, according to Forbes' list of wealthiest hip hop artists released today.

CareerCast.com has their annual ranking of 200 different vocations across North America... and lumberjacks aren't cutting it!

What are the best places to work in the U.S.? There's no lack of lists claiming to answer this question. Business Insider released its list of the 50 best places to work. It has little in common with Fortune's annual list of 100 best companies, released in January.

HP investors had a bad day, but the rest of the tech sector fared well.

As the executive who oversaw its turnaround departs, the tech titan rushes to reassure customers and shareholders.

In the wake of reported sideline talks between two rivals, the FCC says it lacks a "robust framework to preserve the openness and freedom of the Internet."

What's behind the settlement between a rising power in the cloud and software-as-a-service and software colossus Microsoft, which is trying to make its own inroads into the area?

Google Wave crashes, fighting to keep mainframe skills alive, beware the Outernet and more.

Google's Android operating systems hustled past RIM's BlackBerry OS in the second quarter, a byproduct of the release of several new 4G smartphones and wider carrier coverage for the devices.

Welcome to a very important week for corporate earnings including Netflix and Facebook.

General Mills has scrapped a controversial change to its fine print.

The papal message about income inequality is resonating both inside and outside of the church.

Getting people to donate money is a big business, and some universities, hospitals and other nonprofits are rewarding their top fundraisers with as much as $1 million to bring in the big bucks.

Here are a few people who may not first come to mind when considering gratuity.

Read full story for latest details.

A new breed of energy company is a hit with investors using a mantra long scorned in the oil-and-gas business: Small is beautiful.

New details on class action against Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe show how Facebook rejected the alleged hiring circle.

Square Inc. representatives have discussed a possible sale of the mobile-payments startup to several deeper-pocketed rivals.

The battle between Apple and Google for mobile dominance is spreading to the most lucrative genre of apps: videogames. They are offering top titles a promotional boost if the games arrive first in their respective app stores.

Nearly four years after Richard Branson vowed to shake up the U.S. hotel industry, his Virgin Hotels still hasn't opened a single property.

Auto maker figures good April results for new cars, pickup trucks would show recalls haven't tarnished its brands.

In a large, white room that looks more like an Apple store than an office, a group of developers and entrepreneurs meet every day in downtown Washington to work on new software projects for customers.

Read full article >>

In many ways, the ingredients you need to start a small business haven?t changed much over the years. A unique concept or business proposition, mixed with a dash of ingenuity, tenacity, and some basic financial smarts ? that can take you a long way. Of course, a stomach for risk-taking doesn?t hurt, either. However, the tools you need to build a thriving, powerful company, one that can rise above the noise and challenge larger competitors ? those  innovations are constantly evolving.

Read full article >>

Ahead of a major government auction of radio spectrum, federal officials have revealed a little bit about their plans for the free and open airwaves that today support technologies like WiFi and Bluetooth, but that could someday serve as the platform for even newer wireless inventions.

Read full article >>

NAMPA, Idaho ? When Idaho?s largest hospital system bought the state?s largest doctor practice in 2012, the groups expressed hope that the deal would spark a revolution in delivering better-quality care.

Read full article >>

Blazing gas flares 230 feet into the night sky above Qatar?s Ras Laffan Industrial City. The 183-square-mile complex houses the world?s largest assemblage of liquefied natural gas plants and its biggest port for LNG exports. Ras Laffan chills to a fluid more gas in a year than Canada consumes. It then ships it to run electric plants and warm homes from Tokyo to Buenos Aires. The gas facilities within its grounds produce almost a third of the world?s LNG exports.

Read full article >>

A recent Pew Research survey showed that around two-thirds of Americans think technology will lead to a future where people's live are "mostly" better. But what about the other third -- the ones who think that technological advances will make lives worse? Who are these dystopians?

Read full article >>

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Monday?s session are Netflix, Halliburton, and Hasbro.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday?s session are Goldman Sachs, General Electric, and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Wednesday?s session are Bank of America, Google, International Business Machines, and American Express.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Tuesday?s session are Coca-Cola, Intel, and Yahoo.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Monday?s session are Herbalife, Citigroup, and M&T Bank.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Friday?s session are J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Fastenal.

Japan's trade deficit quadrupled last month compared to March 2013, as export growth slows and energy imports continue to rise.

US banking giant Goldman Sachs reports a drop in net earnings while Morgan Stanley sees profits jump.

Scottish government agencies Scottish Enterprise and Visit Scotland have quit business lobby organisation CBI after it formally backed the campaign against Scottish independence.

The fashion house Giorgio Armani pays 270m euros (£222m; $374m) to the Italian authorities to settle a tax bill.

Shares in China's largest Twitter-like service, Weibo, went up by almost 20% on the first day of its listing in the US, despite a disappointing start.

A BP employee who oversaw the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 agrees to settle a charge of insider trading.

(Reuters) - Square Inc has been in talks with several rivals for a possible sale as the mobile payments startup looks to stem widening losses and dwindling cash, the Wall Street Journal reported,...

(Reuters) - The troubles at BlackBerry Ltd, which fired more than half its staff and lost more than 90 percent of its market value as consumers shunned its smart phones, might have spelled disaster...

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Airbnb, the start-up accommodation service that investors value at billions of dollars, called on the state of New York to change a law it says is preventing it from...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. small businesses borrowing hit a five month low in February, in the latest indication of slower economic growth in the first quarter after an unusually harsh winter.

LONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Bank said it will grow its lending to small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) by a further 1 billion pounds this year, seeing stronger growth prospects for smaller businesses...

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish start-up Next Games has raised $6 million in funding in the latest of several venture capital investments in the Nordic country's booming mobile games industry, the...

Dmytro Firtash has made billions brokering gas deals, but he now faces both a criminal indictment and a racketeering lawsuit in United States courts.

Monte dei Paschi di Siena is fighting to avoid nationalization and bracing for stress tests of its balance sheet by European regulators.

A Times analysis shows that General Motors repeatedly used technical service bulletins as a stopgap safety measure instead of ordering timely recalls.

A corruption inquiry targeting the retired Communist Party leader Zhou Yongkang and his family could challenge a tacit rule that has allowed elite clans to accumulate vast wealth.

Laboratoires Servier, the pharmaceutical company founded by Mr. Servier, was hailed as a champion of French business until its diabetes drug was withdrawn from the market.

With his book ?Capital in the Twenty-First Century,? Thomas Piketty has written a blockbuster in the world of economics.

Under a multi-year agreement unveiled Monday, Polycom will begin shipping integrated unified communications solutions built on Microsoft's Communications Server 14.

Google App Engine, HTML5, search engine optimization and social media marketing are among the fastest movers on Elance's list of hot job opportunities available online.

The two Internet and communications giants have put aside their differences to hammer what could be a palatable legislative solution to the net neutrality brouhaha.

HP investors had a bad day, but the rest of the tech sector fared well.

The new bill is getting early support from prominent Democrats and could require enterprises meet tighter security measures and new notification rules.

Contaminated websites are still a threat, but Cisco's latest security report suggests that are plenty of other Web-borne malware scams that can cost you or your company dearly.

Welcome to a very important week for corporate earnings including Netflix and Facebook.

Pope Francis has spoken often about income inequality and the economy, but what isn't clear is whether he is a capitalist, socialist or something in between.

So what is Wall Street reading in its down time? Likely something from the annual list prepared for traders and bankers by David Lutz.

Wealthy investors are piling into art investment funds, sending the value of international art sales soaring.

According to Gallup, Americans think real estate is the best long-term investment. Unfortunately, they're wrong.

CNNMoney has created a portfolio of the 30 most important technology stocks on the planet that you can track every day.

A new breed of energy company is a hit with investors using a mantra long scorned in the oil-and-gas business: Small is beautiful.

New details on class action against Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe show how Facebook rejected the alleged hiring circle.

Square Inc. representatives have discussed a possible sale of the mobile-payments startup to several deeper-pocketed rivals.

The battle between Apple and Google for mobile dominance is spreading to the most lucrative genre of apps: videogames. They are offering top titles a promotional boost if the games arrive first in their respective app stores.

Nearly four years after Richard Branson vowed to shake up the U.S. hotel industry, his Virgin Hotels still hasn't opened a single property.

Auto maker figures good April results for new cars, pickup trucks would show recalls haven't tarnished its brands.

BANGKOK -- Most Asian markets took cues from Wall Street on Thursday and edged higher despite serious challenges to the global economy, including Japan's struggle to contain an earthquake-spawned nuclear crisis, Portugal's unresolved financial problems and uprisings in the Middle East.

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest automaker, said Thursday it expects to halt production at some of its factories in North America due to shortages of parts from Japan following a devastating earthquake.

-- A Boeing executive said on Wednesday that the Air Force will get the tanker it ordered - and no more.

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration has significantly improved its safety oversight of for-hire aircraft companies but hasn't followed through on recommendations regarding air tours and illegal operators, a government watchdog said Wednesday.

-- Gasoline-electric hybrid versions of BMW's big, 2011 BMW 7-Series sedans come with the federal government's lowest fuel economy rating of all regular-production hybrids.

BANGKOK -- Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday following a retreat on Wall Street as the staggering toll exacted by Japan's worst-ever earthquake came into sharper focus and uncertainties grew about the outcome of Western military action against Libya.

A look back at the history of Air Jordans, from 1985-2014.

intro: "Gamification," or applying game thinking to non-game activities, is a tech term that's been around long enough that many of the apps on our smartphones use the concept. And many times, we don't even realize we're part of a game with multiple purposes. Take for example, a new app called Wellapets, that teaches children how to care for their asthma with virtual pets. LifeGuard Games' CEO and founder Alex Ryu, 25, says some parents have told him children who don't have asthma have enjoyed playing the game without even realizing the health purpose behind it, and that's ok too. "We want it to be enjoyable," Ryu said. The app, developed by a Harvard Medical School student, features fire-breathing dragon pets on Apple iOS devices like iPhones or Android ones. The app teaches children to learn how to manage their asthma in a fun, interactive way. Here is more about Wellapets and more websites and apps that could gamify a wide range of activities in your life. quicklist: title: Children With Asthma media: 23352515 category: Wellapets text: Ryu, who is on leave from the Harvard Medical School, released Wellapets on March 28 with a team of three and while working with pediatricians from Boston Children's Hospital. The app is ideally for children ages 6 to 11 and free, though Ryu said he hopes to one day use a subscription model. "The greater vision is to use the virtual pet through a series of games to make children smarter and healthier," Ryu said. Other topics LifeGuard Games hopes to tackle are financial literacy and other health issues, possibly food allergies. quicklist: title: Running/Fitness media: 23352695 category: Runkeeper text: Runkeeper allows people to keep track of their running, cycling, hiking and several other physical activities. Share with your friends, sync with your goals and get healthy. The company recently introduced the Breeze app that tracks every step you take. quicklist: title: Health/Hitting the Gym media: 23352799 category: Pact text: Pact encourages positive behaviors, like going to the gym, by fining you money if you skip out on your commitment. The premise allows those who go to the gym according to their ?pact? to never pay money. You provide your credit card information when you first sign up and then you pay an amount of your choosing, if you do not follow your pact. Initially called GymPact, the company changed its name to Pact when it widened its use beyond going to your local health club. Read More: GymPact App Makes Workout Skippers Pay Up quicklist: title: Budgeting media: 23352876 category: Mint text: Mint is a personal finance app and website that encourages you to keep to your budgeting and saving goals. You can sync your bank accounts and credit cards. Feel shame and embarrassment when your savings goals are in the red and elation when you keep within your monthly restaurants budget. Read More: Wedding Registry App Lets Couples Add Items from Anywhere quicklist: title: Sleep/Fitness media: 23352923 category: Fitbit text: Fitness device Fitbit tracks every step you take and even how much you sleep and the quality of it. Walking urbanites can proudly share their number of steps when they compare with car-driving friends. Read More: Fitbit Recalls ?Force? Wristband in Rash Move Competitor Jawbone is also pushing its sleep function. quicklist: title: Learning a Language media: 23353018 category: Duolingo text: Using a quiz-style format of learning, Duolingo allows you to learn basic Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. The app is free and you can choose to start anywhere in a range of levels. quicklist: title: Dating media: 23353102 category: Coffee Meets Bagel text: "Quality dating made easy" is the tag line for Coffee Meets Bagel. Started by three sisters, the free service utilizes the Facebook networks of your friends for potential dates, with the premise that you may have a higher chance of compatibility in your social networks. Members receive one match, or bagel, daily at noon, then choose to "like" or "pass" their bagels. If two members "like" each other's profiles, they are matched and given the opportunity to meet in person. If you want to find out who is the social connection between you and your match (a.k.a. your mutual friend), you can pay money to the site. Read More: Tinder, Locals and Other Apps Give Online Dating a Makeover quicklist: title: Hooking Up media: 23353305 category: Tinder text: As Time Magazine describes Tinder: "Tinder is a smartphone app that at first seems like a higher tech version 'hot or not.' Users are shown photos of nearby potential matches and can swipe right to 'like' and left for 'nope.' Mutual right swipes result in a match, followed by the prompt to either send a message or 'keep playing.'" Fast-growing app Tinder instantly introduces you to your friends? friends, using the same premise of inclusive social networks that Coffee Meets Bagel uses. Except, Tinder has unofficially become the app for fast flings, instead of relationships, as reported in the most recent Olympic games in Russia. Yes, it apparently is popular with some athletes. Read More: Tinder Hook-Ups Off the Hook Among Sochi Athletes

From an island in the Bahamas with its own airplane landing strip to a woodsy getaway near Maine in Canadian waters, if you have the cash, you can live in paradise on your very own private island.

Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, or whatever else you want to call him, Sean Combs is numero uno, according to Forbes' list of wealthiest hip hop artists released today.

CareerCast.com has their annual ranking of 200 different vocations across North America... and lumberjacks aren't cutting it!

What are the best places to work in the U.S.? There's no lack of lists claiming to answer this question. Business Insider released its list of the 50 best places to work. It has little in common with Fortune's annual list of 100 best companies, released in January.

Bob Grace, head of Chinese production line, says the nearly completed factory will have a level of automation on par with those in western Europe

Retreat from energy, agricultural and metals business follows sharp slide in revenues and greater scrutiny from regulators

Kiev rejects Moscow claims that nationalist fighters attacked ?innocent peaceful civilians? after interior ministry reports at least three dead

Falling bond yields have eased borrowing cost, but big budget deficits mean interest payments for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain are climbing

Marketing stunt aims to celebrate Italy?s economic recovery and promote relaunched website of the country?s leading newspaper as it tries to stem years of losses

Apple chief has promised to review its plans for cash pile, and the group is also expected to reveal the impact of iPhone sales in China