BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets slid Thursday, pulled down by a contraction in China's manufacturing that adds to signs that the shaky recovery in the world's No. 2 economy is slowing. Read more here: Asia stocks slide as China factory output slips

HONG KONG (Reuters) – China's Lenovo Group Ltd posted a 90 percent rise in its quarterly net profit, its fastest pace in seven quarters, as a result of strong PC and smartphone demand in its domestic market. Lenovo, on track to unseat Hewlett-Packard Co as the world's top PC maker by shipments, posted net profit of $126.9 million in the quarter ended March, up from $66.8 million a year earlier, based on Reuters calculations using full-year and nine-month financial data. That was the fastest pace since the first quarter of the 2011/2012 fiscal year, when growth doubled. … Read more here: Lenovo's fourth-quarter net profit nearly doubles on Chinese PC, phone demand

NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's record-low teen birth rate stems from robust declines in nearly every state, but most dramatically in several Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to a new government report. Read more here: Nearly all US states see hefty drop in teen births

The U.S. teen birth rate fell 25 percent over five years to a record low of 31 births per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 19, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more here: Teen birth rates decline in most US states

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A government investigation found poor quality construction materials and building code violations were among the “series of irregularities” that caused the collapse of a building housing garment factories last month in Bangladesh, the committee head said Thursday. Read more here: Building materials blamed in Bangladesh disaster

MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James made a layup as time expired in overtime, and the Miami Heat found a way to beat the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wild Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night. Read more here: LeBron saves Heat at buzzer of Game 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Urban renewal? New census estimates show that most of the nation’s largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight year. Read more here: Urban renewal? Big US cities showing strong growth

BOSTON (Reuters) – The average 401(k) retirement balance for U.S. workers hit a record high of $80,900 in the first quarter, a growth spurt of 75 percent since the stock market’s nadir in March 2009, Fidelity Investments said on Thursday based on a survey of its accounts. Most of the recovery is linked to a stock market rally that has lifted the broad S&P 500 Index 145 percent since the close of trading on March 9, 2009. The 401(k) recovery looks even better for workers 55 and older, according to Boston-based Fidelity, the largest U.S. administrator of 401(k) retirement plans. … Read more here: Average U.S. 401(k) balance tops $80,000, up 75 percent since 2009

(Reuters) – SoftBank Corp would appoint a “security director” to Sprint Nextel's board if its takeover bid succeeds, and would give the U.S. government the right to approve the nominee, an attempt to address security concerns raised by the proposed deal. Sprint said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1 that the new director appointed by the Tokyo-based SoftBank would oversee public safety concerns related to Sprint's wireless and wireline operations. … Read more here: SoftBank would appoint "security director" to Sprint board

By Masayuki Kitano and Hideyuki Sano SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Japanese government bonds plunged on Thursday, taking yields to their highest in a year and leading a selloff in bonds globally after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks sparked worries of a reduction in U.S. monetary stimulus. Bernanke's comments, suggesting the Fed's massive bond purchases could be scaled back in the next few policy meetings if the economy improves further, triggered a reaction across a swathe of markets, lifting the dollar to a three-year high versus a basket of currencies and the U.S. … Read more here: JGB yields surge, markets spooked by Bernanke remarks