JAPAN

Cracks deepened in Asian equities on Thursday, with markets set to post their worst daily performance in more than five months, while the euro took a breather from its recent rally as it neared key resistance levels.

Asian stocks retreated from two-month peaks on Thursday due to disappointing earnings from Wall Street majors, while the euro gave in to some profit taking after extending its rally overnight to a eight-week high.

Five deals that General Electric Co signed with Chinese partners this week will generate more than $2 billion of revenue over the next decade for the U.S. conglomerate, including about $1 billion of exports from the United States, GE said on Wednesday.

American Express Co reported quarterly earnings that narrowly missed Wall Street estimates and said it would cut 550 jobs as it handles more customer services on the Internet.

American Express Co said on Wednesday that severance costs and other charges related to shutting down customer service centers would reduce fourth-quarter earnings.

Scientists have moved a step closer to creating ultra-fast quantum computers by generating 10 billion bits of quantum entanglement in silicon for the first time.

Traditional all-weather raincoats, designed for the working masses almost 200 years ago, joined the ranks of upmarket London fashion on Wednesday, when Mackintosh opened its first standalone store.

The gaming console comes with extensive 3D capabilities.

In contrast to all travel blues and woes, a leading travel search site site Skyscanner gives an insight to the sunshine spots in the world to boost optimism - the top five places you can travel to cheer you up.

Gardening in space has been part of the International Space Station (ISS) from the beginning. The latest experiment is Hydrotropism and Auxin-Inducible Gene expression in Roots Grown Under Microgravity Conditions, known as HydroTropi. HydroTropi is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-run study that looks at directional root growth.

Even as the U.S. and China are preparing for what is termed as the most important heads of state level meeting in a decade, Japan has come out strongly for healthy ties between the world's two largest economies which happen to be political adversaries as well.

China's exports of vital rare earth elements used for numerous high-tech goods slipped almost one-tenth last year but the overall value rocketed as quota cuts lifted international prices, data showed on Wednesday.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2 shook southwestern Pakistan early on Wednesday, jolting residents of cities as far apart as Delhi and Dubai, but the epicentre was far from major population centres.

History shows the U.S. can force China to revalue the yuan.

Hong Kong stocks are set to rise on Wednesday following a higher close on Wall Street which was supported by commodity-related counters and strong earnings from technology bellwethers Apple (AAPL.O) and IBM (IBM.N).

Scientists are trying to clone the woolly mammoth by 2016.

Boeing Co said the first delivery of its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner would come in the third quarter of 2011, clearing up fears about the schedule after a November electrical fire on a test flight threw the timing into doubt.

Foreigners increased purchases of U.S. securities in November, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday, though it was private investors rather than central banks who did most of the buying.

German precious metals refinery group Heraeus reports massive demand for bars and coins, even as ETF trust funds and Comex futures contracts saw considerable profit-taking driven liquidations by institutional traders.

Boeing Co on Tuesday delayed first delivery of the 787 Dreamliner to the third quarter of 2011, clearing up doubts about the schedule after a November electrical fire on a test flight forced an emergency landing.

Gold priced in US dollars rose for a second day on Tuesday. Reflecting the improved consumer appetite for gold in Asia, premiums for gold bars rose on Monday to hit another two-year high as jewelers from China rushed to buy ahead of the Lunar New Year, while purchases from the electronics sector helped stir up physical trading in Japan, dealers said.