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The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady as widely expected on Tuesday, holding off on easing as it scrutinizes how escalating debt woes in Europe and a U.S.-driven rise in bond yields affect Japan's fragile economy.

Sony Corp's LCD TV sales will likely fall slightly short of a targeted 60 percent rise in unit terms this financial year, a senior executive said, with new 3D TVs unable to resuscitate soft sales in mature markets.

Asian shares fell to their lowest in over a week on Monday, led by a 2 percent slide in Shanghai stocks as thin year-end trading made for exaggerated moves, not helped by mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The Euro rose across the board on Friday helped by its leaders' positive response to creating a facility to safeguard its nations from debt issues like Ireland's, but a rating downgrade by Moody's on the troubled country dampened the sentiment, limiting gains by the single currency.

Applications for jobless benefits in the U.S. fell unexpectedly for the week ended Dec. 11, posting a decline for two consecutive weeks.

Construction of new homes in the U.S. rose during November but permits fell surprisingly, according to a report by the U.S. Commerce Department, indicating that the housing market might face some weakness in the coming months.

Jobless claims dipped for a second week, suggesting growth in the labor market, but data on home construction showed that sector remains stressed even as the economy shows signs of a pick up.

Australian dollar has been trending higher against the US dollar since early Wednesday in New York and the pair seems to be up for a fall within the trending channel, study on AUD/USD 10-minute chart shows.

New U.S. claims for jobless aid fell last week and factory activity in the country's Mid-Atlantic region grew at its quickest pace in more than 5-1/2 years this month, indicating the economic recovery is gaining traction.

Credit card delinquency rates fell at major U.S. lenders in November as fewer consumers fell behind on their bill payments, signaling they are recovering from the stress of the financial crisis.

Japanese stocks fell on Friday after a rise to a seven-month high earlier in the day prompted profit taking, although they outperformed the rest of Asia this week, while U.S. Treasuries steadied on the view yields had risen too high, too quickly.

TSMC, the world's biggest contract chipmaker, saw its smallest year-on-year sales growth in four months as demand slowed, while analysts say a new crop of smartphones and tablet PCs could spur demand next year.

Foreign central banks' overall holdings of marketable securities at the Federal Reserve fell in the latest week, data from the U.S. central bank showed on Thursday.

New economic data on Thursday offered more signs the recovery was gaining traction, with claims for jobless benefits falling and wholesalers stocking up in anticipation of strong holiday demand.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week and the four-week moving average slipped to a fresh two-year low, reviving hopes a labor market recovery was under way.

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week and the four-week moving average hovered at two-year lows.

Stock index futures fell from more than two-year highs on Friday, pointing to a slide at the open after a weaker-than-expected payrolls report indicated an economic recovery was still shaky.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Monday expanding the asset purchase fund could be an option if the economy worsens beyond the central bank's expectations, even as government data showed retails sales in October fell unexpectedly.

Shares of Irish banks nosedived on Wednesday driven by fears of a bank run as speculation intensified over government stake hike in the Bank of Ireland and the Allied Irish Banks, even as Dublin was putting final touches to the austerity plan the country was ordered to follow as part of its 85 billion euro bailout announced early this week.

Pending sales of previously owned homes rose to a four-month high in August, implying the housing market was regaining some stability after recent steep declines following the end of a home-buyer tax credit.

Getting enough magnesium in your diet could help prevent diabetes, a new study suggests.