JAPAN

Asian stocks fell around 3 percent on Thursday after soaring Italian borrowing costs stoked fears that the debt crisis in the euro zone's third biggest economy will overwhelm its financial defenses, raising the risk of a break-up of the currency area.

The impact of Thailand's floods on Honda Motor Co has extended to a fourth continent, while in contrast Toyota Motor Corp showed further signs of recovery from the disaster.

Asian stocks fell sharply Thursday after soaring Italian borrowing costs stoked fears the debt crisis in the euro zone's third biggest economy will overwhelm its financial defenses, raising the risk of a break-up of the currency area.

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 550000 vehicles worldwide to replace an engine component that could hamper steering. This will include 420,000 in the U.S. Nearly 27,000 vehicles were recalled in Canada and 38,000 recalled in Japan.

Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie held hands and posed on the red carpet Wednesday in Japan to promote Brad’s lates baseball movie, “Moneyball.”

Is the recent rate of earthquakes in Turkey, and the rest of the world, anything to be worried about?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) registered another difficult day Tuesday, plunging 389 points to 11,781 on institutional investor concern that Italy will not be able to service its debt, and that one, and possibly more countries may leave the Eurozone. What's the prudent stance for the typical investor?

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit near Van, Turkey on Wednesday, causing at least 18 buildings to collapse, including a six-story hotel where rescuers are now working to free 35 trapped people.

The couple arrived in style at the Tokyo premiere, held on Wednesday.

Losses on securities investments at the core of a scandal rocking Japan's Olympus Corp may have once exceeded $1 billion, the Nikkei newspaper said on Wednesday, as the 92-year-old firm's share price plunged due to doubts about its future.

Italian borrowing costs reached breaking point on Wednesday after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's promise to resign failed to raise optimism about the country's ability to deliver on long-promised economic reforms.

Italian borrowing costs reached the breaking point Wednesday after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's promise to resign failed to raise optimism about the country's ability to deliver on long-promised economic reforms.

Political changes at the top of two of the euro zone's most troublesome economies boosted world stocks on Wednesday as investors bet that new brooms may help ease the currency bloc's debt crisis.

European shares looked set to follow Asian equities higher Wednesday and the euro steadied after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would resign, raising hopes the debt-ridden country would proceed with reforms that may keep Europe's debt crisis from spreading.

Losses on securities investments at the core of a scandal rocking Japan's Olympus Corp may have once exceeded $1 billion, the Nikkei newspaper said on Wednesday, as the firm's share price plunged due to doubts about its future.

Honda shows new ASIMO robot, which responds to commands.

Nairobi Securities Exchange has launched two stock indexes in conjunction with FTSE Group, and said on Tuesday it planned to start one for Treasury bonds next year.

Hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, who took a five percent stake in Yahoo in September, is now demanding co-founder Jerry Yang step down.

Toyota has withdrawn its profit and sales forecasts for the full fiscal year given the continuing uncertainties posed by the Thai flooding.

German Researchers along with National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan have developed a robot having a human face and named it as Mask-bot.

In an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint, Alaska Airlines will fly 75 bio-fuel-powered commercial flights, across the United States, starting on Wednesday, the airline announced in a statement on Monday. This is a step which is being perceived as a historical one in the country's aviation sector.