JAPAN

Dysfunctional politics threatens to deliver a protracted period of slow global growth, possibly lasting well beyond 2012, which will only deepen the political and economic problems for the West.

North Korea called on its people to rally behind new leader Kim Jong Un and protect him as human shields while working to solve the burning issue of food shortages by adhering to the policies of his late father, Kim Jong Il.

With the proliferation of cheap and fast video streaming, passionate fans, and eager corporate sponsors, electronic sports may be poised to become a standard ingredient in the global entertainment mix -- although the budding industry still faces a few challenges.

A magnitude-6.8 earthquake shook eastern and northeastern Japan on Sunday. With a depth of nearly 217 miles, its epicenter was southwest of the country's Izu islands, and it occurred at about 2:28 p.m. local time (5:28 GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 jolted eastern and northeastern Japan on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geolegical Survey. However, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages, and no tsunami warning was issued.

Celebrities may resist the urge to send a stream of consciousness on Twitter in the new year, after famous people tweeted their way into trouble on everything from boxer briefs to breast-feeding in 2011.

Reflecting the isolated nation's extreme paranoia about the outside world, North Korea is virtually an armed camp.

India’s relationship with North Korea seems rather strange -- however, from a purely geo-political strategic basis, perhaps it makes sense.

The rupee ended the year with its biggest annual loss since 2008 as foreign capital took flight on growing concerns about India's current account deficit, its poorly performing stock market and an uncertain global economic outlook.

Japan's leading share average ended higher on Friday but marked a 17 percent loss for 2011, a tumultuous year in which massive natural disasters triggered a nuclear crisis and Europe's debt turmoil drained volumes, leaving investors uncertain of a turnaround next year.

For the first time, two German auto manufacturers, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are competing head on for the coveted title of the No.1 selling luxury car in the United States.

Asian stocks nudged higher and the euro clung to overnight gains Friday, the last trading day of 2011, as positive data from the United States helped allay concerns on the global economy, while year-end short covering lifted crude prices.

Couture designer Paul Smith has reported an increase in pre-tax profits of 31 percent despite the economic downturn. As per the accounts filed in the Company House, the pre-tax profits rose from £20.9 million a year previously to a current £27.4 million.

Millions of medical patients are crossing international borders each year to receive treatment in a growing trend known as medical tourism.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei slipped on Thursday ahead of an Italian debt sale that could prove challenging in thin volumes, while the euro's tumble against the yen to a 10-year low pressured exporters. Meanwhile, most other Southeast Asian bourses edged higher on Thursday, helped by late bargain-hunting in big caps and dividend-yielding stocks

Alibaba Group has hired a Washington lobbying firm in a sign that the Chinese e-commerce company would be willing to make a bid for all of Yahoo Inc. in the event that talks to unwind their Asian partnership fail.

With constant competition from the likes of Honda and other car manufacturers, Toyota is expected to gain an edge over other environmental or conventional vehicles owing to its fuel friendly variant.

Gold fell to a three-month low on Thursday as prices were weighed down by a firm dollar, while investors remained cautious ahead of an important Italian bond auction later in the day.

Asian stocks fell on Thursday, taking cues from weak U.S. and European shares, as players cut positions heading into the year end with an Italian debt auction later in the day keeping markets nervous.

Athabasca Oil Sands Corp has won regulatory approval for its MacKay River oil sands project, opening a one-month window that could result in its state-owned Chinese partner taking full control of the development.

The world entered 2011 with cautious optimism that things would improve over the gloom of 2009 and 2010. However, the past year has proven to be quite turbulent. The global economy was faced with a myriad of challenges including the European debt crisis, while the overall economic performance in the industrialized world left much to be desired.