SHANGHAI - Moving ahead of its Chinese rivals, Apple became the top-selling phone brand during Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's recrod-breaking Singles' Day sale on November 11, the media reported. The Cupertino-based tech giant was one of the 237 brands that surpassed 100 million yuan ($14.36 million) mark in sales during Alibaba's annual event. Alibaba released a list of products in various categories that had the...

CHICAGO - Former USfirst lady Michelle Obama announced on Thursday a new initiative aimed at empowering adolescent girls around the world through education. "An educated girl can lift up her family, her community, and her country," said Michelle Obama as she launched the program on behalf of the Chicago-based Obama Foundation, Xinhua reported. That's why I'm so proud that today the Obama Foundation is launching the Global Girls...

JAKARTA - The death toll in the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Indonesia's island of Sulawesi increased to 832 on Sunday as rescue workers combed through concrete and lumber searching for survivors, the country's disaster management agency said. The toll was confirmed by agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho who has estimated that 2.4 million people were impacted by Friday's 7.5-magnitude earthquake, CNN reported.

BEIJING - China on Friday asked the US to lift the sanctions on the Chinese military for buying Russian fighter jets and weapons or "bear the consequences." "China expressed strong indignation towards the unreasonable move by the US and has made solemn representation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said. He added that Washington had violated the basic norms of international relations and disturbed ties with China. 

WASHINGTON - A US Border Patrol agent has been arrested in connection with the killings of four people and the kidnapping of a woman who escaped, officials said. Juan David Ortiz, 35, confessed to killing four people between September 3 and 15, according to a criminal complaint filed in Webb County, Texas, on Saturday.  Ortiz was charged with four murder charges and one unlawful restraint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

SAN FRANCISCO - Google's in-house start-up incubator "Area 120" has introduced a travel guide website called "Touring Bird" that lists tours, attractions and activities for travellers and tourists in popular travel destinations. "Area 120" is a workshop for the tech giant's experimental products. So far, the site provides information about 20 cities that include New Delhi, Prague, Chicago, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin and Las Vegas among others and...

TOKYO- Choked road traffic conditions in three mega cities prompted global ride-hailing platform Uber to select India among the first five shortlisted finalist countries which could be home to an international Uber Air City within the next five years. After evaluating countries across the globe, Uber Elevate -- the ride-hailing platform’s aerial taxi arm -- announced Japan, India, Australia, Brazil and France as shortlisted countries during the first 

BEIJING - A senior Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen will visit the US for trade talks later this month, it was announced here on Thursday. A statement from the ministry said that the delegation will meet US Treasury Undersecretary David Malpass to discuss economic and trade issues between China and the US. "China reaffirms its stance of opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism, 

BEIJING - China on Wednesday announced that it will slap additional 25 per cent tariff on $16 billion worth of US products in retaliation to Washington's latest round of duties, escalating the trade battle between the two countries. The 25 per cent tariffs will come into effect on August 23 and target 333 US products including coal, bicycles, trucks, vehicle engines and chemicals, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said.

TORONTO - The Canada India Foundation (CIF) has urged the country to accept Sikh and Hindu minority communities from Afghanistan as refugees following the killing of 19 Sikhs by an IS suicide bomber in Jalalabad. "This dastardly act is yet another sign of the continuing victimisation of the religious minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan by fundamentalist Islamist forces," said CIF chair Ajit Someshwar...