JAPAN

Japan's core consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month in the year to December, and mild deflation is expected to persist this year as energy prices stabilize and worries about Europe's debt crisis suppress wage growth and economic activity.

The BSE Sensex rose 0.7 percent on Friday and was on track to post its fourth weekly gain in a row, on expectations improving global risk appetite will draw in more portfolio investments.

Samsung Electronics Co posted a record 4.7 billion dollar quarterly operating profit, driven by booming smartphone sales.

A broad asset rally inspired by the U.S. Federal Reserve's pledge to keep rates low paused Friday, as investors sought to gauge how sustainable the burst of optimism will be while waiting for the outcome of crucial Greek debt talks.

A tankless toilet so inspired Japan's Panasonic Corp. that the company will end their production of water-logged toilets and focus on the design alternative.

Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich called on Wednesday for a base on the moon and an expanded federal purse for prize money to stimulate private-sector space projects.

Anonymous issued a response to Poland, who signed the controversial ACTA copyright protection treaty on Thursday, by hacking their government websites.

Ahmadinejad is the highest Iranian government official thus far to offer to re-start the talks.

Japanese electronics giant NEC Corp. stunned the Japanese markets Thursday, announcing it expected to lose ¥100 billion ($1.3 billion) and lay off 10,000 employees globally next year. The view -- announced during the company's quarterly earnings release conference call -- was a wild swing from previous statements, where the company had set positive 2012 earnings guidance of ¥15 billion.

NEC Corp said Thursday it will slash 10,000 jobs, almost one in 10 of its workers, to trim costs after the electronics maker announced a loss of 87 billion yen ($1.11 billion) for the three months to December 31.

Equities, commodities and the euro extended gains Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates low for a much longer-than-expected period, providing ample liquidity to help spur growth.

The owner of Japan's stricken nuclear reactor, Tokyo Electric Power Co, will agree to be taken over by the government in a near-$13 billion bailout, sources said on Thursday, even as the country debates the future of nuclear power.

The owner of the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor, Tokyo Electric Power Co, will agree to be taken over by the government in a near-$13 billion bailout, sources said Thursday, even as Japan debates the future of nuclear power.

New car sales in January continued to rise at a steady pace, according to TrueCar.com, continuing the auto industry's slow but stable recovery.

NTT Communications Corporation, the international branch of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world, will be purchasing a majority share of Netmagic Solutions, India's largest provider of data centers.

World stocks and the euro suffered on Wednesday as uncertainty about Greece's debt talks overshadowed strong economic data from Germany, blow-out earnings from Apple, and expectations that the Federal Reserve will push back the timing of an eventual rate hike.

The euro and European shares weakened on Wednesday as fears about the prospect of a Greek debt default overwhelmed positive news on the outlook for Germany, the region's largest economy.

Gold prices struggled Wednesday to hold recent gains as the dollar rose and investors awaited results of the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting on interest rates.

European shares and the single currency held firm on Wednesday as investor focus switched to the broader economic outlook and some strong results from leading U.S. companies, and away from worries about the stalemate in Greek debt talks.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday, underpinned by strong earnings from U.S. technology giant Apple, stabilizing European money markets and falling eurozone debt yields, with investors shifting their focus from Europe to the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The BSE Sensex nudged higher on Wednesday, a day after the RBI indicated it would support growth, raising expectations for more foreign fund investments.