JAPAN

The dollar and the yen were broadly steady on Wednesday while the euro and high-yielders were on the defensive as a recent risk rally appeared to have run its course and the euphoria from China's new yuan policy waned.

Asian stocks slid on Wednesday as an unexpected fall in U.S. home sales added to worries about the fragility of the global economic recovery and optimism over China's promise to make the yuan more flexible faded further.

Apple Inc has sold 3 million iPads in less than three months, a faster-than-expected pace that boosted its stock days before the company's newest iPhone hits store shelves.

Apple Inc said on Tuesday it sold 3 million iPads since the touch-screen tablet computer hit the market less than three months ago, boosting its stock two days before the company's iPhone arrives on store shelves.

A strike at a Japanese car parts supplier in southern China forced Toyota Motor Corp to suspend production at a Chinese auto assembly plant on Tuesday, the latest in a string of labor-related disruptions at foreign-owned manufacturers across the country.

Weak May U.S. housing data undercut stocks and sent U.S. Treasuries up, while Europe grappled with a fresh tremor to its banking system after Fitch downgraded French bank BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA).

The rich grew richer last year, even as the world endured the worst recession in decades.

Germany, France and Britain announced plans on Tuesday to introduce a bank levy to help meet the costs of the financial crisis, without waiting for a G20 summit this week, underscoring a rift with key partners.

Asian stocks and commodities retreated on Tuesday as wary investors took profits from a rally ignited by China's weekend decision to give its currency more flexibility.

Asian stocks retreated on Tuesday as investors booked profits a day after China's weekend decision to give its currency more flexibility triggered a risk rally.

Japanese carmaker Toyota UK and French utility EDF are starting three year trial of the Plug-In hybrid Prius car in Britain, the companies said on Monday.

Toshiba on Monday launched a dual-screened mini notebook PC that can be used as an e-book reader, adding to competition for the likes of Apple Corp's iPad and Amazon.com's Kindle.

Stocks and commodities jumped on Monday and U.S. Treasuries fell after China let the yuan rise to the highest since July 2005, with more currency flexibility easing tensions with the West and encouraging investors to snap up riskier assets.

Crude prices rose 2.2 percent on Monday to the highest since early May after China vowed to allow a flexible yuan exchange rate, raising expectations of higher petroleum imports by the world's second-largest oil user.

Gold continued its upward streak to touch a new all high on Monday due to China's decision to allow flexibility in Yuan that pushed yellow metal to $ 1262.5 per ounce.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Monday, rising alongside global stocks after China's vow to allow a flexible yuan exchange rate boosted investors' appetite for risky assets.

Stocks and commodities jumped on Monday and U.S. Treasuries fell as investors bet China will allow the yuan to rise after promising more currency flexibility, easing political tensions with the West and encouraging investors to snap up riskier assets.

Global markets celebrated on Monday at the merest hint that China would let its currency appreciate, showing just how badly the Middle Kingdom is needed to drive a recovery in the sagging world economy.

Global markets celebrated on Monday at the merest hint that China would let its currency appreciate, showing just how badly the Middle Kingdom is needed to drive a recovery in the sagging world economy.

China will keep the yuan's exchange rate at a basically stable level, the central bank said on Sunday, suggesting that the country's new currency regime will look a lot like the old one.

Tensions in global financial markets stemming from the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis appear to be easing, setting the stage for investors to dip back into risky assets in the second half of this year.