JAPAN

Japan's economy returned to growth in the second quarter, pulling out of its longest recession since World War Two, but analysts warned of a rocky road ahead as the nascent recovery was based on short-term stimulus efforts around the world.

The euro hit a two-week low against the yen on Monday and struggled versus the dollar as weak global shares and oil prices ruined traders' appetite for risk and battered currencies seen to be high-risk.

Hennes & Mauritz , the world's third-biggest clothing retailer, reported on Monday a bigger-than-expected 3 percent drop in year-on-year sales at established stores in July.

Stock index futures pointed to a sharply lower open on Wall Street on Monday, mirroring a selloff in Asian and European stocks on mounting worries equities' recent surge had run ahead of the global economic recovery.

Stock index futures extended their losses early on Monday, mirroring a selloff in Asian and European stocks on mounting worries the equities' recent surge had run ahead of the global economic recovery.

World stocks fell by more than 1 percent on Monday, led by sharp drops in Asia, while government bonds and the dollar rose as doubts about the strength of a global economic recovery triggered a risk asset sell-off.

Asian stocks tumbled to their lowest level in over two weeks on Monday as investors raked in profits amid gloomy U.S. consumer data and a growing belief that market valuations had overtaken economic fundamentals.

Japan's economy grew 0.9 percent in the three months to June, marking the first expansion in five quarters on the back of exports and government stimulus spending, but analysts say it will be a long road to a sustained recovery.

Toyota Motor Corp is looking to end production at a joint venture factory in California that it had held with General Motors in March 2010, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported on its website.

Oil prices fell below $67 a barrel on Monday, extending the previous session's 4.3 percent decline, as poor U.S. economic data clouded the outlook for a quick global recovery and prompted further profit taking.

Taiwan leaders, already under fire over the response to a typhoon that likely killed hundreds, have accepted foreign aid after earlier refusing the offers, officials said on Saturday, as the president apologized.

Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to write the script for the

Japanese stocks ended at a 10-month high on Friday after upbeat eurozone growth data and positive earnings from the world's largest retailer helped offset gloomy U.S. retail and jobs data, factors which pulled down the dollar.

Japan's Nikkei share average rose to a 10-month high on Friday after upbeat eurozone growth data and positive earnings from the world's largest retailer helped offset gloomy U.S. retail and jobs data, factors which brought down the dollar.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc underestimated the risks of falling stock prices to its billions of dollars of derivatives bets, yet still believes it is valuing the contracts fairly.

Pressure mounted on Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Thursday to speed up operations to rescue hundreds of residents of remote mountainous villages buried or stranded in the aftermath of typhoon Morakot.

Oil rose toward $71 a barrel on Thursday as a surprising return to economic growth in France and Germany fed optimism the world was through the worst of the recession, offsetting bearish U.S. inventory data.

Asian stocks and commodities rose on Thursday after the Federal Reserve said it spotted stability in the U.S. economy, spurring investors to buy back shares and other riskier assets and sell U.S. dollars.

Asian stocks and commodities rose on Thursday after the Federal Reserve said the ailing U.S. economy was showing signs of leveling out, spurring investors to buy back shares and other riskier assets and sell U.S. dollars.

Oil rose toward $71 a barrel on Thursday as renewed optimism that the U.S. economy was through the worst of the recession offset bearish inventory data showing continued weak demand in the world's largest oil consumer.

Cameco Corp reported a higher and forecast-topping quarterly profit on Wednesday as stronger results from its electricity business offset the impact of higher uranium sales costs.