JAPAN

Asia is leading the global economy out of the deepest downturn in decades but the recovery will be marred by high unemployment and huge government debt across the industrialized countries, the OECD said on Thursday.

The world's key central banks will not need to start raising policy interest rates until late 2010 due to low inflation and economic slack, and can then proceed gradually, the OECD said in a report published on Thursday.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.61 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.51 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.44 percent at 1030 GMT (5:30 a.m. EST).

Asian stocks eased on doubts about the pace of economic recovery, while the Indonesian rupiah and the Indian rupee fell on concerns over official steps to curb capital flows after Brazil's latest move to limit the rise of its currency.

Doubts about the pace of economic recovery hit Asian markets on Thursday, with Japanese stocks falling to a four-month low and the Australian dollar down for a third day as a December interest rate hike no longer looked like a sure thing.

Apple's popular iPhone is to make its South Korea debut next week after earning approval from the nation's telecommunications director, local media reported on Wednesday.

Shares in Japan Airlines slid to a record low after the transport minister rattled investors by saying bankruptcy was still a possibility, even as U.S. carriers lined up with offers of financial support.

Disaster movie 2012 wreaked even more havoc at the box-office than expected, Columbia Pictures said on Monday, taking in $230.4 million worldwide on its opening weekend.

Toyota Motor Corp's global vehicle sales rose 5 percent in October to about 640,000 units, marking the first year-on-year increase in 15 months, the world's biggest automaker said on Wednesday.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group became the third major Japanese bank to post upbeat results, underscoring the improving outlook for the sector, and said it would raise $11 billion to meet stricter capital rules.

Investors shifted out of bonds into equities and commodities in November as confidence in the global economic recovery underpinned their risk appetite, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group posted a 59 percent rise in quarterly profit helped by stronger lending, becoming the third major Japanese bank to post market-beating results, in a sign that Tokyo's lenders may now be on the mend.

Gold fell on profit taking on Wednesday after reaching a record high on economic uncertainties and the downtrend in the dollar, while Asian stocks edged higher as hunger for risk stayed high as the year end approached.

Gold hit another all-time high on Wednesday on worries about future inflation and economic uncertainties, while Asian stocks rebounded as the generally bearish dollar kept riskier assets in demand.

Coca-Cola Co said on Tuesday that international growth, cost savings, new marketing and innovation would be key as it plans to double its total system revenue by 2020.

Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Morgan Stanley will merge only part of the U.S. firm's Japan brokerage operation with MUFG's, revising their earlier pact, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

Ministop Co, Japan's fifth-largest convenience store, plans to bid for South Korea's Buy The Way, which has been put up for sale by private equity firm Unitas Capital, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Japanese steel makers now calculate carbon credits they have bought from abroad at 56 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, a business lobby said on Tuesday, down 3 million tonnes from their previous estimate.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday nudged Chinese President Hu Jintao to allow the yuan currency to appreciate at a landmark summit in Beijing.

Asian shares, gold and oil eased on Tuesday as investors locked in recent gains while keeping an eye on the ailing dollar, which was pinned near 15-month lows on expectations that U.S. interest rates will stay extremely low for some time.

Asian stocks surrendered early gains on Tuesday as investors took profits from recent gains, while the dollar was pinned near 15-month lows after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke repeated the central bank was likely to keep interest rates at very low levels for some time.