JAPAN

Americans filed fewer new claims for jobless benefits last week but the decline was not enough to dispel worries the economy was dangerously close to falling into a new recession.

A grim outlook for the U.S. economy from the Federal Reserve and signs of a slowing in China and Germany sent world stocks tumbling on Thursday and drove investors into safer currencies and government bonds.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday that the European debt crisis and the political divisions in the United States were the biggest threats to the global economy.

China's manufacturing sector contracted for a third consecutive month in September while a measure of inflation picked up, suggesting the world's No.2 economy may not be able to provide much of a counterweight to flagging U.S. and European growth.

U.S. stocks have opened sharply lower in Thursday morning trading following an overnight plunge in global markets. Equities have tumbled largely in response to the Federal Reserve’s grim warning about the state of the U.S. economy and the establishment bond swap program.

Softbank Corp's (9984.T) lucrative gig as the sole iPhone vendor in Japan faces trouble as rival KDDI (9433.T) hammers out a deal with Apple, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, while worries of lost sales sent Softbank shares sliding 12 percent.

China's manufacturing sector contracted for a third consecutive month in September while a measure of inflation picked up, suggesting the world's No.2 economy may not be able to provide much of a counterweight to flagging U.S. and European growth.

NASA astronomers, who used Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and captured a black hole's flaring active jets, have been benefited with the new rare discovery in many ways.

Foreign equities tumbled largely in response to the Federal Reserve’s grim warning about the state of the U.S. economy.

A grim outlook for the U.S. economy from the Federal Reserve and signs of a slowing China and Germany drove world stocks sharply lower on Thursday and pushed investors into safer currencies and government bonds.

North Korea wants a second round of dialogue with the United States, possibly next month, as part of renewed efforts to restart talks on disabling the its nuclear weapons program, a South Korean official said Thursday.

World stocks hit a fresh one-year low on Thursday and investors poured money into safer currencies and government bonds after the Federal Reserve gave a grim outlook for the U.S. economy and China's manufacturing slowed.

World stocks hit a fresh one-year low on Thursday and investors poured money into safer currencies and government bonds after the Federal Reserve gave a grim outlook for the U.S. economy and China's manufacturing slowed.

Shares of Softbank Corp <9984.T>, Japan's third-largest mobile carrier, tumbled more than 10 percent on Thursday after a report said the company was set to lose its position as the sole vendor of Apple's iPhone in Japan.

FedEx Corp is seen reporting higher quarterly results than a year ago on Thursday, but analysts are more keen to see if the No. 2 package delivery company cuts its full-year guidance because stalled global economic growth has stifled volume.

SABMiller's $10 billion bid for Australian brewer Foster's Group looks set for success as key shareholders backed the sweetened deal on Thursday with only an outside chance of a rival offer now posing a threat.

Asian stocks tumbled on Thursday, following a slide on Wall Street, as investors took fright at a warning by the Federal Reserve that the United States faced a grim economic outlook with significant downside risks.

SABMiller's $10.1 billion bid for Australian brewer Foster's Group looked well placed to succeed on Thursday after some key shareholders come out in favor of the sweetened deal.

Hulu, the popular online video service which has been put up for sale by its joint owners, now has more than 1 million paying subscribers, Chief Executive Jason Kilar said on Wednesday.

NASA astronomers were able to get a closer look at the inner environment nearing the base of a black hole's jet through infrared observation. By using the agency's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) astronomers captured some rare data of a flaring black hole, illuminating new details about these powerful stellar-mass black holes and their raging jets.

Typhoon Roke is moving off shore and toward the Kuril Island archipelago between Japan and Russia, according to reports. The storm is still pounding the central Japan with rain, including the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which has so far avoid any major damage.