JAPAN

Chinese authorities are detaining Rio Tinto Ltd's top iron ore negotiator on suspicion of espionage and stealing state secrets, Australia said on Wednesday, threatening to strain already fraying ties.

The leaders of the Group of Eight -- United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, Canada and Japan -- plus European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and current EU president Sweden gathered in Italy to discuss the end of recession, financial regulation, Doha trade round.

The global economy is starting to pull out of its deepest recession since World War Two but recovery will be sluggish and policies need to remain supportive, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday.

G8 leaders believe the world economy still faces significant risks and may need further help, according to summit draft documents that also reflect failure to agree climate change goals for 2050.

Leaders from the Group of Eight major industrial nations will warn against complacency over economic recovery on Wednesday at a world summit that will also tackle trade, climate change and food security.

Japan's Nikkei share average and oil prices hit six-week lows on Wednesday as investors pulled funds out of bets on the global economy's recovery and favored safe havens, such as the U.S. dollar and government bonds.

Japan's Nikkei share average and oil prices hit six-week lows on Wednesday as investors pulled funds out of bets on the global economy's recovery and favored safe havens, such as the U.S. dollar and government bonds.

Rich nations sought to persuade China and India on Tuesday to agree to a goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at a summit of major economies in Italy later this week.

The 35th G8 summit will be held in L'Aquila, Italy from 8 to 10 July. Leaders from the G8 rich nations and the major developing countries will together discuss the most important global economic and political issues.

Sony Corp said on Tuesday it plans to launch a new Vaio laptop that will sell for around 60,000 yen ($629) in Japan in August, making an entry into the fast-growing netbook market.

G8 leaders plus Brazil, India, China, Mexico and South Africa will agree at a summit on Thursday to conclude the Doha round of world trade talks successfully in 2010, according to a draft communique seen by Reuters.

Japan's wind power industry installed 183 megawatts (MW) of capacity in the year ended in March, 2009, down 1.3 percent from a year earlier, a government linked research unit said in a report on Tuesday.

Sony Corp said on Tuesday it plans to launch a new Vaio laptop that will sell for around 60,000 yen ($629) in Japan in August, making an entry into the fast-growing netbook market.

Asian stocks edged up slightly on Tuesday but struggled after a slide the previous day, while the yen held gains against higher-yielding currencies as investors doubt the speed of the global economy's recovery.

Asian stocks edged up slightly on Tuesday but struggled after a slide the previous day, while the yen held gains against higher-yielding currencies as investors doubt the speed of the global economy's recovery.

Oil edged up above $64 a barrel on Tuesday, after four consecutive days of falls on worries about the economy that have brought the stock market rally to a halt and pushed the dollar higher.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches as a violation of council resolutions and a threat to regional and international security.

Japan's Nomura Holdings plans to launch a global prime brokerage business by September as the financial crisis has created room for new players to serve hedge funds, a senior executive said on Monday.

Toyota to mass produce plug-in electric cars by 2012, EU pushes U.S., Japan to a climate change limit, China to build its biggest wind power facility

Emissions from U.S.power plants drop in 1Q, U.S. to deploy officials to China to highlight clean energy, Toyota's hybrid tops best-selling cars in Japan in June

Toyota Motor Corp's Prius hybrid was Japan's best-selling car in June while Honda Motor Co's rival Insight ranked fourth, helping the two hybrid leaders dominate the list of top-selling models.