JAPAN

Asian shares dipped on Friday as spreading unrest in Saudi Arabia and weak economic data spurred some profit taking while the euro looked shaky after its biggest one-day fall versus the dollar in a month.

A look at the upcoming rumored iPhone 5.

Japan has launched a next-generation high-speed bullet train dubbed Hayabusa, which can reach 300 km in six minutes flat.

The United States will lead a rich-world recovery characterized by unspectacular growth this year and next, according to a Reuters poll of economists who view oil prices as the biggest risk to that outlook.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Aeterna Zentaris, AeroVironment, Hercules Offshore, Randgold Resources, and ASML Holding. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Finisar, Oclaro, JDS Uniphase, Ciena, Infinera, and Opnext.

Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan on Wednesday appointed Takeaki Matsumoto as the country’s new foreign minister, in a bid to restore confidence in his government.

Beverage vending machines across Japan plan to install electric vehicle chargers to charge cars, the AFP reported today.

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> on Wednesday will forecast a near doubling of operating profit to at least 1 trillion yen ($12 billion) in two to three years, said a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Toyota Motor Corp will aim to nearly double operating profit to at least 1 trillion yen ($12 billion) in two to three years under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami advisory in the country after a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.2 hit the north-eastern zone.

French wireless devices specialist Parrot has now the financial leeway to make small-scale acquisitions and is looking for opportunities, its finance director told Reuters.

Nomura Holdings (NYSE: NMR), Japan's number one securities firm, has appointed a woman to be its chief financial officer for the first time ever.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday as oil prices pulled back on prospects of an OPEC production hike after recent turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa caused a spike in prices.

Japan's monthly Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) showed the service sector sentiment improved considerably in the last month.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Monday, led by declines from technology shares after Wells Fargo downgraded the semiconductors sector.

Oil fell from recent highs on Tuesday on reports that OPEC may boost production, prompting some recovery on equity markets.

Japan's Sharp Corp <6753.T> expects to beat its LCD sales target of 15 million units in the year to March, and wants to hike the target at least a further 10 percent the following year, a spokeswoman quoted the company's president as saying.

The slideshow contains the Top 14 most workaholic countries, according to survey by Ipsos Global and Reuters. Japan, Australia, South Africa top the list.

U.S. stocks turned lower on Monday, led by declines from technology and consumer-discretionary companies as oil prices remained near $105-a-barrel amid ongoing political tensions in Libya

Japan's beleaguered Prime Minister Naoto Kan has shrugged off calls for him to resign from office, soon after his former foreign minister quit as a result of a donation scandal after only six months on the job.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said worldwide sales of semiconductors for the month of January rose 14.0 percent from last year to $25.5 billion on significant growth across all major end-use sectors. Sequentially, sales increased 1.5 percent.