JAPAN

Japan's Sony Corp said it is enjoying robust demand for its PlayStation 3 game console and other electronic products so far in this holiday shopping season in the key U.S. market.

American Airlines said it and other members of the Oneworld airline alliance along with private equity fund TPG are willing to invest $1.1 billion in Japan Airlines to prevent it defecting to Delta Air Lines and the rival Skyteam group.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.62 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.47 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.52 percent at 0900 GMT (4 a.m. EST).

U.S. crude futures edged higher Thursday after slipping 2.3 percent a day earlier on a larger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories.

China's online game revenues are expected to hit 73.1 billion yuan ($10.7 billion) in three years, driven by growing Internet penetration in the world's most populous country, a research firm said in a report released Thursday.

Gold struck its third straight peak in as many days on Thursday because of its investor appeal as a safe asset while Asian stocks advanced as the appetite for risky assets remained strong despite Wall Street's dip.

China's online game revenues are expected to hit 73.1 billion yuan ($10.7 billion) in three years, driven by growing Internet penetration in the world's most populous country, a research firm said in a report released Thursday.

American Airlines said it, Oneworld alliance members and private equity fund TPG would be willing to invest $1.1 billion in Japan Airlines to match a similar bid from rival Delta and the SkyTeam alliance.

American Airlines said it, Oneworld alliance members and private equity fund TPG would be willing to invest $1.1 billion in Japan Airlines to bolster the airline's finances and prevent it from defecting to a rival alliance.

Federal Reserve officials sounded a relatively upbeat note on the U.S. economy on Wednesday, but warned timing withdrawal of the bank's extraordinary support for the economy will prove difficult.

U.S. central bankers should not let pockets of weakness distract them from fighting inflation as the economy recovers, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said on Wednesday.

Japan's NEC Electronics Corp gained approval from European Union competition regulators on Wednesday to merge with peer Renesas Technology Corp, creating the world's No. 3 semiconductor maker.

Japan's Tokyo Electron, the world's No.2 supplier of semiconductor-making equipment, said quarterly orders look to be stronger than expected thanks to a surge in demand from memory makers in Taiwan and South Korea.

The Indonesian unit of Total has proposed spending $2 billion in 2010 to upgrade its Mahakam block in East Kalimantan, an official at the country's energy watchdog, BPMIGAS, said on Wednesday.

A Bank of Japan policymaker signaled on Wednesday the central bank was open to adopting more measures to support the economy following its emergency meeting the previous day that offered extra short-term funding.

The yen weakened broadly on Wednesday as traders took Japan's new monetary policy measures as a cue to sell, while mixed signals from stocks and commodities kept the dollar in check.

The yen weakened broadly on Wednesday as traders took Japan's new monetary policy measures unveiled the previous day as a cue to sell, while mixed signals from stocks and commodities kept the dollar in check.

Gold scaled another all-time high above $1,200 an ounce on Wednesday, helped by a weaker dollar as it lost some of its safe-haven appeal due to upbeat U.S. home sales and renewed appetite for riskier assets.

Gold surged to an all-time high above $1,200 an ounce on Wednesday, hitting a record for a second straight day, and Asian stocks advanced as investors chased riskier assets offering higher returns.

The new chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano, took office on Tuesday, replacing Egyptian diplomat Mohamed el Baradei who has been serving the agency for 12 years.

Japan's Asahi Breweries said it could spend up to 400 billion yen ($4.6 billion) on acquisitions to avoid getting left behind amid a rush towards consolidation in the global food and beverage industry.