EARTHQUAKE

General Motors Co.'s quarterly profit nearly doubled, beating expectations, as the top U.S. automaker took a larger share of sales globally and raised prices on its vehicles.

Japan intervened in currency markets on Thursday to curb the yen's gains that officials fear threatened to derail the economy's recovery from a slump triggered by a massive earthquake in March.

The California Earthquake Authority plans to take part in more catastrophe bond deals every four to six months after successfully closing its first one this week, the agency said on Tuesday.

U.S. automakers reported higher sales for the month of July, but the ongoing weak economic environment doesn't bode well for the sector.

As of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Emily was located at about 145 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, or 85 kilometers per hour. Emily is still on a westward movement at a speed of 14 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Manufacturing grew at its slowest pace in two years in July as new orders contracted, casting doubt on expectations the faltering recovery would quickly regain steam.

Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda signalled on Tuesday that Tokyo is in close touch with European and U.S. counterparts on the yen's strength, but declined to say if it would sell the yen to rein in its surge in value.

Down month for chips doesn't indicate down year. History shows June has always been poor.

At the Suisyoen retirement home 30 km (19 miles) south of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, elderly Japanese earthquake survivors are finding comfort in a plush, white robot.

Honda has raised its profit and sales forecast. The company is on a speedy path to recovery.

The tentative deal to avoid a crushing debt default is at best a mild relief for the U.S. economy that nearly stalled in the first half of the year and has yet to show signs of any realistic pickup.

Sony reported a $199 million loss in its first quarter because of the March earthquake and tsunami, softer TV sales, Playstation hacking, and a strong yen, and cut its profit forecast for the fiscal year by 25 percent.

A new poll result suggests that almost half of the America's population is dissatisfied by God's performance, if God exists.

Sony Corp reported a 59 percent drop in quarterly operating profit, as it struggled with production woes following the devastating March earthquake in Japan.

Asian stocks fell ahead of a long list of corporate results on Thursday that may shed light on the year's earnings outlook, though the region continued to outperform Wall Street in July.

Investors punished Juniper Networks (JNPR.N) by selling its shares after the networking equipment maker joined Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) in warning that this year's results will miss Wall Street projections.

Investors sought protection in options on Wednesday as fears of a U.S. credit rating downgrade intensified.

Japanese authorities know there is not much they can do to turn a broad weak-dollar tide so will judge any intervention a success if it keeps speculative action from driving up the yen too far and too fast.

New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods fell in June and a gauge of business spending plans slipped, supporting views that the economy will not emerge quickly from its current soft patch.

A lower house committee of Japan's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill to help Tokyo Electric Power pay billions of dollars in compensation to those hurt by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, ensuring a law will soon be in place to guarantee the utility's survival and get aid to victims.

Tourists worldwide are showing support for the Japanese tourism industry, following the recent natural disasters that saw earthquake and tsunami devastating country?s coastal areas in March.