NIKKEI 225

Asian shares rose for a third straight session on Tuesday, led by tech stocks, while the Australian dollar slid ahead of what is expected to be a close decision by the central bank on whether to raise interest rates again.

Global markets are recovering as various media reports surfaced that Germany and France are planning a 30 billion euro Greece bailout.

Asian stocks rose on Friday as investors tried to shake off weak economic data in the United States and Europe, but lingering caution about riskier assets supported the safe-haven yen.

The euro languished near one-year lows against the yen on Friday, while commodities and Asian stocks struggled in tepid trade as worries about Greece and the health of the world economy took hold.

Toyota Motor Corp's output in North America in the February-April period will likely fall short of its original target by 20 percent, as a result of massive vehicle recalls depressing sales, the Nikkei business daily reported.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday after rating agencies said they may downgrade Greece's sovereign debt, reigniting concerns over possible defaults in the euro zone that have dogged markets recently.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday after rating agencies said they may downgrade Greece's sovereign debt, reigniting concerns over possible defaults in the euro zone that have dogged markets recently.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.4 to 0.6 percent, pointing to a weaker start for equities on Wall Street on Thursday.

A tepid rally in Asian shares faltered early on Thursday and the dollar rose after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's reaffirmation of an extended period of low U.S. rates boosted risk-seeking but also raised some concerns about global growth.

European stocks eked out small gains on Wednesday against a background of investor caution globally following a dip in U.S. consumer sentiment.

Asia shares fell on Wednesday as surprise declines in U.S. consumer confidence and German business sentiment fueled fears about the strength of the global economic recovery and boosted the safe-haven yen.

Toyota Motor Corp's woes deepened ahead of its testimony to Congress as it revealed it faces a U.S. criminal probe into the handling of its massive safety recalls, while Japan voiced concern over the economic impact of the automakers' problems.

Toyota Motor Corp's woes deepened ahead of its testimony to Congress as it revealed it faces a U.S. criminal probe into the handling of its massive safety recalls, while Japan voiced concern over the economic impact of the automakers' problems.

Toyota Motor Corp's woes deepened ahead of its testimony to Congress as it revealed it faces a U.S. criminal probe into the handling of its massive safety recalls, while Japan voiced concern over the economic impact of the automakers' problems.

Asian shares turned lower on Tuesday and the dollar was trapped in a tight range as investors waited for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to shed light on how soon key interest rates may start to rise.

The U.S. dollar rose to a near 9-month high against the euro on Thursday as the single currency was dogged by worries about sovereign debt levels and poor growth prospects, while gold fell after the International Monetary Fund said it would sell more of its bullion holdings.

Asian shares leapt to a three-week high on Wednesday, powered by financial and resource shares after investors bought commodities on a weaker dollar, while Hong Kong shares shrugged off China's latest move to temper robust lending.

European shares gained on Tuesday after UK bank Barclays beat profit forecasts, and the euro rose against the dollar as European finance ministers put more pressure on Greece to resolve its fiscal problems.

Firming expectations of a Greek bailout lifted world stocks, the euro and commodity prices on Wednesday, and sent Greece's borrowing costs lower.

World stocks rose on Wednesday and Greece's borrowing costs fell on the prospects of a Greek bailout, while safe-haven German government bond prices dipped and the euro eased after the previous session's hefty gains. Oil prices fell after data showed a large build in U.S. inventories but gold prices were flat, taking a pause from Tuesday's rise.

Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.5 percent on Wednesday, with blue-chip shares that had been sold off on concerns about fiscal stability in Europe regaining ground with news of potential aid for heavily indebted Greece.