JAPAN

Asian markets rose Monday as concerns of Greece exiting the euro zone eased with Greek opinion polls published over the weekend showing that pro-bailout party is leading by a small average margin over the anti-austerity measures party.

Indian markets opened on a positive note Monday as Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex was trading at 16,360.34, 142.52 or points 0.90 percent up from the previous close and NSE Nifty was at 4,965.20, up 44.80 points or 0.80 percent, in the morning session.

Asian stock markets mostly advanced Monday as concerns of potential Greek exit eased after recent opinion polls showed that pro-austerity parties could be able to form a coalition government.

The contemplated union of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain forms only one part of a potentially much wider alliance -- the political, military and economic integration of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprise Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

Birds belonging to the Corvidae family -- a group that includes crows, ravens, rooks, and, yes, even John James Audubon's hated blue jays -- have an uncanny ability to learn, play, and use tools unmatched by any other feathered relative.

Asian markets declined this week on increasing concerns about China's economic slowdown and Greece possibly exiting the euro zone.

Investing in Brazil's booming economy has turned another page as foreign companies, especially Japanese firms, move from putting money into the nation's financial industry to putting it into the real economy of South America's largest nation.

The Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) wants to make itself king of the hill once more and reclaim the No. 1 global sales position from the General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) by adding eight compact cars for emerging markets, Reuters said Friday.

Renesas Electronics (Tokyo: 6723), one of Japan's biggest chip-makers, could fire as many as 30 percent of those on its payroll, or 14,000 workers.

China's growing hunger for the RV is providing further evidence for the theory that the Middle Kingdom is trying to become more American -- at least in its pastimes.

Moving swiftly from the realm of tin foil-hat conspiracy to a bullet point being openly talked about as a fait accompli by international financiers, an exit by Greece from the European common currency dominated conversation this week. But what would actually happen if Greece left the euro?

Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex started on a negative note Friday and was trading in the red in the morning session.

Asian markets fell Friday on increasing concerns about China?s economic slowdown and Greece exiting the euro zone.

A school cafeteria in China's Shandong province may have attempted to serve whale meat to students -- an illegal act that came to light when the whale's carcass was discovered in the kitchen. It has since disappeared, and so has the cafeteria's manager

Apple's senior VP of industrial design Jonathan Jony Ive, who was also Apple founder Steve Jobs' closest friend and confidant, was asked by The Telegraph what project he would like to be remembered by. Even though Ive is behind some of Apple's most courageous product designs, the design guru actually said Apple's current project could be his finest hour.

Do host cities make money?

2012 will be a historic moment in the shift of global power from the West to the East. According to expert estimates and figures on military spending, in 2012 Asia's spending on defense will eclipse Europe's for the first time in the modern era.

Hazard to sign for United, Kagwa bid lodged and more speculation involving Manchester United's transfer targets.

The meteoric rise of a natural, healthy alternative to sugar - a holy grail for the food industry - might just be a little too good to be true. In two years stevia, a plant used for centuries by Paraguay's Guarani Indians, has shot to prominence in products by Coca-Cola, Danone and Merisant.

Japan Tobacco Inc. (Tokyo: JT) is buying all outstanding shares in Belgian tobacco company Gryson NV from its parent GT&Co BVBA for ?475 million ($596.3 million), the company announced Thursday.

The common currency was punished overnight as sentiment regarding Greece turned from bad to worse.