JAPAN

Gold received a lukewarm reception a day after racing to a record high, with consumers in Asia more likely to be cashing in than panic buying.

Asian shares pushed up for a second day on Wednesday, with Taiwan's benchmark index nearing a 16-month high, as growing confidence in a strengthening global recovery boosted resource and financial companies.

Gold eased from record highs on Wednesday as investors took profits, but sentiment remained bullish and a fresh record was within sight as the dollar's weakness and inflation concerns reinforced bullion's appeal as a hedge.

Asian shares pushed up for a second day on Wednesday, climbing back near a 13-month peak, as gold's surge to record highs and the dollar's tumble boosted resource shares.

Soccer's global governing body FIFA, gaming software-maker Electronic Arts and Sony Corp's PlayStation announced the start of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2010 (FIWC10) season on Tuesday.

A U.S. trade panel that hears patent disputes said it would investigate allegations that Toyota Motor Corp infringed patented technology owned by Paice LLC to make hybrid cars.

Big oil producing nations denied a British newspaper report on Tuesday that Gulf Arab states were in secret talks with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the U.S. dollar with a basket of currencies in trading oil.

Oil prices rose above $71 per barrel on Tuesday as the dollar slipped against major currencies and after a U.S. government agency raised its forecast of world oil demand for the fourth quarter.

Tropical storm Parma stalled for two days off northwestern Philippines, was slowly heading toward the country's tobacco-producing region on Tuesday, after killing at least 22 people.

North Korea on Tuesday signaled it could return to nuclear disarmament talks it had declared dead six months ago, but a report it was near restoring its atomic plant underlined the secretive state would keep the stakes high.

Toyota Motor Corp is considering working with affiliate Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd to develop its electric vehicles, slated for a global launch in 2012, the Mainichi newspaper said on Tuesday.

The dollar fell broadly Tuesday while stocks rose after Australia's interest rate rise, the first in a G20 economy in more than a year, boosted confidence the global economic recovery is on track and others may follow.

Oil prices rose more than $1 to above $71 per barrel on Tuesday, helped by a fall in the U.S. dollar after a report Gulf Arab states were in talks to replace the greenback with a basket of currencies in oil trading.

Japan's government put pressure on the central bank on Tuesday to avoid ending its emergency funding for companies too soon, with the finance minister saying the economy had yet to regain balance.

Britain's leading share index rose 0.5 percent early on Tuesday, drawing strength from a rebound on Wall Street overnight, with gains in banks and miners offsetting weakness in defensive telecoms and pharmaceuticals.

Samsung Electronics' stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings forecast on Tuesday failed to impress investors, who are worried a fast recovering won and competition are starting to cut into profits.

The dollar fell across the board on Tuesday while world stocks rose after Australia became the first developed economy to raise interest rates in more than a year and data showed the U.S. services sector expanded for the first time since 2008.

Gulf Arab oil exporters will stay with the dollar as the currency for trading crude, a source in the United Arab Emirates central bank said on Tuesday.

Australia's central bank raised its key cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent on Tuesday and heralded more to come, saying it was safe to row-back on stimulus now that the worst danger for the economy had passed.

Australia's central bank raised its key cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent on Tuesday and heralded more to come, saying it was safe to row-back on stimulus now that the worst danger for the economy had passed.

South Korean and Indian shares fell on Tuesday after Australia's interest rate hike showed that stronger Asian economies were starting to reverse emergency stimulus policies, hitting markets seen as likely to lift rates.