JAPAN

A study of atomic bomb survivors in Japan conducted over 53 years has found that they appear to suffer a far higher risk of heart disease and stroke because of their exposure to radiation.

Suzuki Motor Corp is keen to take a stake in Volkswagen AG soon, as the European automaker looks for shareholders willing to sell to Suzuki, the head of the Japanese firm said on Friday.

Japan Airlines moved a step closer to bankruptcy on Friday by drawing down $1.6 billion in emergency funding and with the government setting Tuesday as the day to officially start a state-led restructuring.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.02 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.22 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.17 percent at 4.40 a.m. EST.

Persistent worries over the world economy, fueled by tepid U.S. data and a relatively lackluster start to the earnings season, kept a lid on equity gains on Friday, boosting safe-haven trades like the dollar and yen.

Shiseido Co Ltd , Japan's largest cosmetics company, has agreed to buy U.S.-based Bare Escentuals for $1.7 billion, as it looks to speed up its expansion and break into a new part of the North American market.

Technology shares jumped in Asia on Friday after better-than-expected earnings from sector bellwether Intel, but stocks elsewhere in the region were largely subdued amid fresh doubts about the strength of the U.S. economic recovery.

Most Asian stocks gave up early gains on Friday as weak U.S. retail sales and a rise in jobless claims made investors wary about the strength of its economic recovery, offsetting better-than-expected earnings from technology bellwether Intel.

The two core units of Japan Airlines Corp in charge of operating flights and procuring funds will file for bankruptcy protection along their parent, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday.

Intel Corp's fourth-quarter results roared past Wall Street forecasts and it gave a bullish margin outlook on higher prices and firm demand for server chips, reinforcing hopes for a strong recovery in technology.

Japanese retailer Ministop, South Korea's Lotte Group and U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group will make final bids for South Korean retailer Buy The Way on Friday, two sources said.

Japan's core machinery orders tumbled to a record low in November, adding to government fears of a return to recession that could heighten the need for yet more fiscal stimulus spending.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.11 percent, Dow Jones futures unchanged and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.11 percent at 4 a.m. EST.

A Japan Airlines Corp bankruptcy will have a wide-spread impact on small businesses that account for half of the nearly 3,000 Japanese companies that do business directly with the carrier, a research firm said.

Asian shares rebounded on Thursday as fears receded that China's policy tightening would slow its demand, while strong Australian jobs data raised the chances of a February interest rate hike and boosted the Aussie dollar.

Share markets in Asia rebounded on Thursday as worries that China's policy tightening would slow its demand receded, while strong Australian jobs data raised the chances of a February interest rate hike and boosted the Aussie dollar.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average gained 1 percent on Thursday, with tech shares up after their U.S. rivals gained and exporters also higher as worries about the negative impact of China's monetary tightening on its economy faded.

It took only a few weeks of research for Romanian entrepreneur Emi Gal to decide where to base his digital media firm, and his choice confounds a fairly enduring set of stereotypes about Britain's global appeal.

An aviation industry outsider, the 77-year-old Kazuo Inamori looks set to take on the daunting task of turning around an airline saddled with $16 billion in debt, mired in losses and grappling with a massive pension shortfall.

Kazuo Inamori, the founder of electronics maker Kyocera Corp , agreed on Wednesday to become the new chief executive of Japan Airlines , as the carrier's shares plunged ahead of its expected bankruptcy.

China's monetary tightening and disappointing corporate earnings put downward pressure on world stocks on Wednesday, combining to present investors with two of their biggest concerns.