JAPAN

The head of the International Monetary Fund on Sunday renewed a push to fully fund a $17 billion lending package for poor countries, which are threatened by high oil prices and the risk of euro-zone contagion.

It looks like Apple is going much thinner and lighter in its next smartphone, presumably called the iPhone 5. Sources from within Apple's foreign supply chains reportedly told Digitimes that the iPhone 5, expected to launch between the second and third quarter of 2012, will adopt in-cell touch panels manufactured by Sharp and Toshiba Mobile Display.

By Ben KlaymanFord Motor Co , seeking to tap into China's growing appetite for brawny sport utility vehicles, will quadruple its offerings in that segment over the next year.

Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa has been doing his best to keep in check expectations of major new stimulus by the central bank next week.

The Nintendo Wii U will become available on Nov. 18, according to a leaked memo from Media Land, a popular Japanese video game retailer. The revolutionary new dual-screen home-gaming system will be available on that date in North America and a week later in Japan, per the rumor.

India -which criticized the sanctions by the U.S., United Nations and European Union - recently became Iran's top oil buyer.

China produces 97 percent of the world's rare earths, minerals that are critical for the production of everything from cell phones to missiles -- and now it wants to keep more of them for itself. The world is worried, but there may be little it can do.

Loan demand from firms and households jumped in the first quarter, adding to the evidence that the Japanese economy is on the path of recovery, according to Senior Loan Officer Survey.

At a time when chances of a fall release for the next generation Apple iPhone look stronger than a summer launch as expected before, a report surfaced late Friday saying that the highly anticipated smartphone will feature in-cell touch panels produced by Sharp and Toshiba.

Australia, Singapore, South Korea and the UK have agreed to contribute a combined $41 billion to the International Monetary Fund reserve to boost a global firewall against Europe's debt crisis.

China and Russia are making military history this weekend with the first bilateral naval exercises the two governments have ever conducted together.

Upbeat economic reports from Britain and Germany combined with surprisingly strong first-quarter earnings reports in the U.S. to foster a risk-on sentiment that lifted stocks and commodities while weighing on safe-haven investments.

Burger King in Japan offered a promotion in which anyone could add 15 pieces of bacon to a burger for only 110 Yen ($1.24), which convinced one Japanese man to attempt to eat a Whopper with 1,050 strips of bacon.

The Group of 20 nations on Friday were poised to commit at least $400 billion to bulk up the International Monetary Fund's war chest to fight any widening of Europe's debt crisis.

The International Monetary Fund is eyeing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a bloc of countries commonly known as BRICS, to meet its goal, set by the institution's managing director Christine Lagarde, to raise at least $400 billion of additional funds to safeguard the global financial system against the euro zone sovereign debt crisis.

General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) reported first-quarter net income rose 3 percent as orders for its industrial products surged. Still, overall revenue dipped 8 percent.

Myanmar President Thein Stein hopes to achieve a resolution with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda about Myanmar's debt.

Jiroemon Kimura, the world's oldest living man, celebrated his 115th birthday on Thursday and shared his secret to a long life. View the slideshow to see photos of Jiroemon Kimura.

South Korea, Japan, the United Nations and the U.S. believe that North Korea intends to develop ballistic missile tests and have roundly condemned Pyongyang’s program.

Major emerging powers stood ready on Friday to pledge money to bolster the International Monetary Fund's crisis-fighting war chest, though Brazil was holding out for promises that their voting power at the global lender would increase.

Major emerging powers stood ready on Friday to pledge money to bolster the International Monetary Fund's crisis-fighting war chest, though Brazil was holding out for promises that their voting power at the global lender would increase.