JAPAN

Japan's top government spokesman said on Wednesday the government will continue to work with the Bank of Japan to beat deflation and revive the economy.

Yahoo! Inc.'s (NASDAQ:YHOO) stock may be valued too cheaply by the market, according to Dan Loeb, a New York-based hedge fund manager.

U.S. retail sales posted their largest gain in five months in February, with Americans feeling confident enough to buy more cars and other goods even as they paid more for gasoline.

TBC Corp., a unit of Japan's Sumitomo Corp., will pay $173 million in cash for Midas Inc. (NYSE: MDS), the automotive parts and repair chain based in Itasca, Ill., said Tuesday.

U.S. retail sales posted their largest gain in five months in February as Americans stepped up purchases of motor vehicles and other goods even as they paid more for gasoline.

Europe is undermining drug innovation by cutting prices, raising barriers to new medicines and freeloading off others in Asia and the United States who are more willing to pay, the boss of Pfizer, the world's largest drugmaker, said.

The U.S., the European Union and Japan will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization, which arbitrates international trade disputes, on Tuesday over Chinese export caps on rare earth minerals used in high-tech manufacturing, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Retail sales recorded their largest gain in five months in February as Americans snapped up motor vehicles and bought a range of goods even as they paid more for gasoline, government data showed on Tuesday.

Shares of Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) rose slightly after the company sued Facebook for alleged patent infringement. Facebook denied the charges in a statement but has not filed a legal response.

Retail sales recorded their largest gain in five months in February as Americans snapped up motor vehicles and bought a range of goods even as they paid more for gasoline, government data showed on Tuesday.

Stock index futures advanced on Tuesday ahead of data that could provide clues about the intensity of consumer spending and before a monetary policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.

The European Union, United States and Japan formally asked the World Trade Organization on Tuesday to settle a dispute with China over Beijing's restriction on exports of raw materials, including rare earth elements critical to major industries.

Stock index futures advanced on Tuesday ahead of data that could provide clues on the level of consumer spending and before a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.

The U.S. will join Japan and the European Union for pressing the World Trade Organization to force China for loosening its restrictions on exports of rare-earth minerals.

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy on hold on Tuesday, overruling a lone proposal for more stimulus and disappointing some in markets who thought the central bank could follow up last month's easing with another move to amplify its impact.

Hynix Semiconductor Inc <000660.KS>, the world's No.2 memory chipmaker, said on Tuesday that it has seen marked growth in customer enquiries for increased chip supplies following financial troubles at Japanese rival Elpida Memory Inc <6665.T>.

Asian equities hit a one-week high on Tuesday, holding firm in the wake of recent signs of improvement in the U.S. economy, while the yen rose after the Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady.

The Obama administration is all set to file a case against China's export restrictions on rare earth at the World Trade Organization.

Japan's Nikkei average breached 10,000 for the third straight session before trimming gains to 0.9 percent Tuesday, lifted by defensive buying as investors looked for signs of further easing from the Bank of Japan.

The Bank of Japan is expected to refrain from easing monetary policy further on Tuesday, while stressing its readiness to act again in coming months if needed and extending a cheap loan line supporting growth industries.

Yahoo, the No. 2 search engine that just hired a new CEO, could threw a wrench into Facebook’s proposed $5 billion initial public offering by suing for patent infringement.