JAPAN

The Federal Reserve is likely to hold off offering the economy fresh stimulus at a meeting on Tuesday as it weighs encouraging signs on the recovery against risks coming from Europe.

Olympus ex-CEO Michael Woodford said on Tuesday that he has a realistic chance of winning a battle for control of the scandal-hit company and that he had the support of two major shareholders.

Most Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Tuesday on fears that any fresh credit rating downgrades in Europe will deal a fresh blow to financial markets and the cooling global economy.

The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been released in the UK, Japan and Canada, while customers in the United States have been eagerly awaiting its release. The latest Google Android phone will runs only on the Verizon network and is rumored to be hitting stores in U.S. on Dec. 15.

As the Department of Justice gears up for a rare criminal trial against a publicly traded company, the Taiwanese defendant wants to argue that prosecutors just don't get Asian business culture.

Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi on Tuesday urged Europe to make further efforts to convince markets of its resolve to overcome the region's debt crisis and expressed caution about any potential Japan contribution to a rescue fund through the IMF.

Japan is likely to pick Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet of F-4 Phantom fighters, reaffirming strong security ties with the United States, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.

Asian stocks sank on Tuesday and the euro languished near a two-month low as investors took fright at the prospect of mass euro zone sovereign ratings downgrades after the outcome of a last chance European Union summit failed to convince markets.

The world is forecast to grow hotter, sea levels to rise, intense weather to wreak even more destruction and the new deal struck by governments in Durban to cut greenhouse gas emissions will do little to lessen that damage.

Chrysler and Hyundai led the way for strong automotive sales in the United States in October, as sales continue to rebound from recession slumps, according to analysis from the Great American Group released Monday.

Ron Paul's 2012 presidential aspirations are hurt by his foreign policy stance. Or so say the polls.

Orson Welles' Oscar for writing Citizen Kane -- regarded as one of the best films ever made -- is going up for auction again later this month in a hot market for Hollywood memorabilia.

The Japan Business Federation has decided to punish scandal-tainted Olympus Corp and Daio Paper Corp on December 21, the Nikkei business daily said.

What was mere fantasy a few years back could become a reality - it will soon be possible to become like Neo (of The Matrix fame), who became a kung fu master in a matter of minutes after the necessary "skills" were downloaded into his brain.

The whistleblower in a $1.7 billion accounting scandal at Japan's Olympus Corp, ex-CEO Michael Woodford, plans to meet ruling-party lawmakers in Tokyo this week as he lobbies for reforms to Japanese boardrooms, a source said on Monday.

The world is forecast to grow hotter, sea levels to rise, intense weather to wreak even more destruction and the new deal struck by governments in Durban to cut greenhouse gas emissions will do little to lessen that damage.

The embattled chief of the U.S. nuclear safety regulator found some powerful political support on Saturday ahead of Capitol Hill hearings next week that will scrutinize his bid to enact sweeping safety reforms.

Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale was in Beijing on Monday promoting his new movie The Flowers of War that opens on Friday in China and a week later in the U.S.

Major Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Monday on the European Union's deal to pursue stricter budget rules, but investors remained cautious and concerned about whether Europe is taking sufficient steps to resolve its debt crisis.

Japan is unlikely to make sweeping reforms to rules on corporate governance in the wake of the Olympus Corp accounting scandal because of a largely hostile business lobby and a lack of political will to clip the wings of top executives.

The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the first Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphone, is expected to hit stores Dec. 15.