JAPAN

Apple Inc said on Friday that U.S. sales of its iPad tablet would kick off on April 3 and international sales would start later in April.

IPOs don't get much larger than the $12 billion offering from Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co, Japan's second-biggest insurer, and optimism is running high.

Giant private equity fund Blackstone Group hopes to close its first Australian deal this year and is looking at a deal in Japan and South Korea.

Asian shares surged on Friday after encouraging U.S. retail sales and jobs data suggested Asia's biggest export market was stabilizing, while the euro remained on the defensive amid the Greece debt crisis.

Crude edged up on Friday, capping two consecutive weeks of trading above $80, after China signaled it would maintain its economic stimulus, rekindling hopes for accelerating growth to drain excess oil supplies.

A tax question holding up American International Group Inc's sale of its foreign life insurance unit to MetLife Inc is expected to be resolved favorably, clearing the way for a roughly $15 billion deal, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Japanese group Olympus Corp is aiming for its small, lightweight models to have 20 percent of the high-end digital camera market in three years, up from 5 percent now, its president said.

Asian shares failed to hold on to their early gains, slipping into negative territory as worries about Greece and the outlook for the global economy made investors cautious.

Asian shares eked out gains and the euro extended its rise on Thursday after Greece announced fresh austerity measures to reduce its deficit and on data pointing to a rebound in the U.S. jobs market.

Starbucks Corp said that its cafes in UK and Japan will soon sell its Via instant coffee, which helped boost same-store sales at U.S. outlets in the latest quarter.

Molson Coors Brewing Co , viewed by some as a potential suitor for the beer business of Foster's Group Ltd , is interested in acquisitions as long as they are smart, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Hybrid and electric cars are the stars of motor shows, but the expensive technologies could take a decade to really hit European roads as automakers improve petrol and diesel cars to meet short-term emissions targets.

Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp and France's PSA Peugeot Citroen failed to agree terms for a capital alliance.

Banks that are seen as too large to fail should be broken up in order to make the financial system more stable, Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher said on Wednesday.

The euro rose against the dollar and Greek borrowing costs fell to their lowest level since mid-February as Greece's cabinet approved new steps to fight a budget deficit, seen as key to secure EU fiscal support. European shares, however, were flat as traders said most of the news had been priced in and ahead of U.S. jobs data, though world stocks gained, on track to gain for the fourth consecutive day and near their five-week high.

Nissan Motor Co, Japan's third-biggest car maker, said it will recall about 540,000 vehicles worldwide due to potential defects in brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components, mostly in the United States.

Activision Blizzard Inc is forming a business unit for its blockbuster Call of Duty franchise, following the departure of two senior executives at the studio that developed the video game, the company said on Tuesday.

Warren Buffett says he worries about all currencies.

Commodity prices recovered in February after falling in the first month of the year despite China's tighter monetary control regime and US Federal Reserve raising rates for emergency loans to banks which initally sent jitters down the commodity street. However, prices of key commodities have rebounded with crude oil rising as much as 10 percent while key Nymex traded Copper futures have gained 7.1%. Gold gained 2% in February and Spot Gold in New York closed the month at $1,119 still far short o...

North Korea said on Tuesday the standoff over its nuclear programme should be settled through direct talks with the United States, but first Washington must drop what it called its hostile policies.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 were little changed at 0950 GMT.