JAPAN

French jeweler Cartier launched its first film on Thursday to set itself apart in an increasingly crowded luxury market by highlighting its 165-year heritage.

Michael Woodford, the ousted Olympus chief executive who blew the whistle on one of Japan's most high-profile frauds, vowed he would hold his former employer to account as he kicked off his legal battle for wrongful dismissal in London on Thursday.

China and Russia, who have presented themselves as stubborn holdouts against the United States and the rest of the world on international diplomatic issues (most recently sanctions against the murderous Syrian government), have reportedly welcomed the news that North Korea will be halting its nuclear weapons testing and development programs.

The probability of a sharp global slowdown has eased due to recent policy measures adopted in the euro zone to tackle its debt crisis, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday, but it warned risks to world growth remain squarely to the downside.

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), the world’s biggest chipmaker, put $100 million into a venture capital fund intended to make cars smarter.

The development comes one day after North Korea agreed to suspend its nuclear program in exchange for massive food aid.

China welcomed the pact, but remained somewhat cautious about hopes for a nuclear-free future on the Korean peninsula.

Workers at an electrical products factory in eastern China received a pleasant shock when they returned to their jobs after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays.

North Korea has agreed with the United States to suspend major elements of its atomic weapons program in a surprise breakthrough that could pave the way for the resumption of long-stalled nuclear disarmament talks with the secretive state.

The Pritzker Prize jury went in a more political direction this year, awarding the prize Chinese architect Wang Shu the profession's highest honor, it deliver

South Korea and certain western nations have been pressuring Beijing not to deport the North Korean defectors

Gas prices in the U.S. are increasing. Is it possible we’ll see a $5 gallon anytime soon? Signs point to yes.

South Korea embraced the decision and said it hoped it could lead to a broader framework of peace between the two countries.

France's data protection watchdog has cast doubt on the legality and fairness of Google's new privacy policy, which it said breached European laws.

When a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan last year, it caused a massive tsunami killing nearly 16,000 people. The tsunami that dragged personal items from Japanese citizens, including televisions, dressers, refrigerators, out to sea, could wind up on the shores of Hawaii this year.

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a criminal probe into whether the world's biggest banks manipulated a global benchmark rate that is at the heart of a wide range of loans and derivatives, from trillions of dollars of mortgages and bonds to interest rate swaps, a person familiar with the matter said.

Clinton said she will be watching closely and judging North Korea's new leaders by their actions.

The U.S. economy grew a bit faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter on slightly firmer consumer and business spending, which could help to allay fears of a sharp slowdown in growth in early 2012.

The United States has agreed to send at least 240,000 metric tons of food, with an increased proportion of grain products, to isolated North Korea.

Crude oil is predominantly priced and traded in U.S. dollars, although Iran has already accepted payments in some other currencies.

Automakers will report nearly 1.09 million new cars in February on Thursday, according to two industry forecasts, continuing the ongoing revival of the industry as sales jumped nearly 6 percent from February 2011 and an eye-popping 20 percent from January. That would equal a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) above 14 million units -- the highest level since early 2008.