JAPAN

Asian stocks fell to near five-month lows on Friday as investors dumped riskier assets after rising sovereign debt problems in the euro zone and poor jobs data sent U.S. and European stocks tumbling.

Toyota Motor Corp, already reeling from two massive recalls, faced the possibility of a third when U.S. safety regulators opened a probe on Thursday into a braking problem on the Prius, the world's top-selling hybrid.

Asian stocks fell to near five-month lows on Friday as investors dumped riskier assets after rising sovereign debt problems in the euro zone and poor jobs data sent U.S. and European stocks tumbling.

Shares of Toyota Motor Corp picked up from a 10-month low on Friday after the world's largest carmaker reported better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its outlook despite its growing recall-related problems.

Shares of Toyota Motor Corp fell 0.5 percent early on Friday after the world's largest carmaker reported better-than-expected quarterly results the previous day and raised its outlook despite the ongoing recall turmoil.

Toyota will recall about 270,000 Prius hybrid cars in Japan and the United States, Nikkei reported.

In the latest blow to Toyota Motor Corp, U.S. safety regulators opened a formal probe on Thursday into problems with the brakes of the Prius, the world's top-selling hybrid and a vehicle that has powered the automaker's reputation for fuel-efficiency.

U.S. safety regulators opened a formal investigation on Thursday into consumer complaints about braking on 2010 Toyota Motor Corp Prius hybrids.

Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it has no plans to suspend sales of its popular Prius hybrid in the United States while it makes adjustments to the vehicle's brake system to address consumer complaints about insufficient braking.

Toyota Motor Corp plans to recall an estimated 270,000 units of its new-generation Prius hybrid in the United States and Japan to fix a brake problem, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday.

In the latest blow to Toyota Motor Corp, safety regulators opened a formal probe into problems with the brakes of the Prius, the world's top-selling hybrid and a vehicle that has powered the automaker's reputation for fuel-efficiency.

Safety regulators opened a formal investigation into consumer complaints about braking on 2010 Toyota Prius hybrids, the latest jolt to the automaker already reeling from massive recalls and intensified safety scrutiny.

In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, the scientists said they found 25 different stretches of DNA that were especially active in the leukemia cells. Each one has the potential to become a target for a new drug.

Lingering concerns about the global economy and a host of negative local factors pushed Asian stocks lower on Thursday, with Toyota hitting a 10-month low on investor concerns over its massive vehicle recall.

The Obama administration stepped up the pressure on Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday to address a range of safety issues as investors and consumers reacted to the deepening crisis for the world's largest automaker.

Honda Motor Co raised its annual forecast on Wednesday after cost-cuts boosted quarterly profit and said it was concerned that rival Toyota's huge safety recall might tarnish other Japanese brands.

Market talk that Volkswagen could announce at an investor conference on Wednesday that it planned to take over MAN SE soon pushed shares in the German truckmaker up more than 4 percent.

Toyota Motor Corp said on Wednesday its North American and Japanese dealers had received several dozen complaints concerning what drivers characterized as insufficient braking on its new Prius hybrid car when driving over bumpy or frozen roads.

Honda Motor Co lifted its annual guidance far beyond market expectations on Wednesday after cost cuts drove quarterly profit to the strongest in a year and a half, and said it anticipates further growth next financial year.

Toyota Motor Corp suffered a sharp drop in U.S. sales last month as its massive recall and unprecedented sales halt allowed rivals to grab market share from the world's largest automaker.

Oil bounced back above $77 on Wednesday, reaching its highest level in almost two weeks, as recovery optimism drove Asian stock markets higher, led by China.