JAPAN

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday said the Fed's buying of longer-dated U.S. Treasuries would taper off when the economy no longer needed help, allowing the Fed to cease its emergency support.

North Korea said on Friday it will reopen a military hotline with the South, a move suggesting the secretive state may be tempering recent harsh rhetoric ahead of a widely condemned missile launch expected early next month.

By Kim Dixon

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday flashed back almost 50 years to a campaign code-named Operation Twist, as it announced the purchase of longer-dated Treasury securities to help end a deepening U.S. recession.

USJ Co Ltd, the operator of a struggling Universal Studios theme park in Japan, said on Thursday it was being sold for $1.2 billion to a consortium led by Goldman Sachs.

The U.S. dollar steadied on Thursday after suffering its biggest daily plunge since 1985, while Asian government bonds rallied on a large-scale plan by the Federal Reserve to buy long-dated U.S. Treasuries, reviving a practice not used in decades.

The U.S. dollar nursed big losses on Thursday and Asian government bonds rallied after the Federal Reserve vowed to buy long-dated U.S. Treasuries, reviving a practice not used in decades to revive an ailing economy.

Japan will clear the way for the deployment of ballistic missile interceptors as it prepares for the possibility a North Korean rocket could fall toward its territory, Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday.

Big gaps remain in a new U.N. deal on global warming meant to be agreed in December and time is running worryingly short with just 265 days left, the U.N. climate chief said on Tuesday.

Bank shares powered ahead in Asia on Wednesday to underpin regional markets, while Japanese government bond futures edged up after the Bank of Japan sharply increased the debt it would buy to support the economy.

Asian stocks drifted higher on Wednesday as banks extended gains, while Japanese government bonds rose after the Bank of Japan sharply increased the amount of government debt it would purchase to support the economy.

Asian stocks inched higher on Wednesday after a financial sector-driven rally pushed them to one-month highs this week, while U.S. Treasuries edged up on speculation the Federal Reserve may take the unorthodox step of buying government debt to push down interest rates.

Japan's drugmakers will sit out a wave of consolidation sweeping through the industry, focusing instead on integrating past acquisitions and smaller, bolt-on deals.

The global market for photovoltaic solar power grew 110 percent last year due to explosive growth in Spain, a report said on Monday.

Consumers around the world, worried about reliable energy supplies and pollution, said their nations should reduce use of oil, natural gas and coal to make electricity in favor of nuclear and renewable power, according to a 20-country survey by Accenture.

From IT labs to photo grabs, a Japanese humanoid robot will soon be strutting her hard- and soft-ware stuff on the fashion catwalk.

Asian stocks jumped to a one-month high on Tuesday, with banks extending gains on hopes the struggling global financial system is stabilizing, despite reports showing the U.S. economy is deteriorating further.

Asian stocks climbed on Tuesday, with banks extending gains on hopes the struggling global financial system is stabilizing, despite reports showing the U.S. economy is deteriorating further.

No one yet has any real idea about when the global financial crisis will end, but one thing is certain: government budget deficits are headed into the stratosphere. Investors in the coming years will need to be persuaded to hold mountains of new debt.

World stocks climbed again on Monday for their fifth session gain in a row, lifted by hopes that the U.S. economic downturn may be bottoming out and with investors seeking to take advantage of cheaper equities.

World stocks climbed again on Monday for their fifth session gain in a row, lifted by hopes that the U.S. economic downturn may be bottoming out and with investors seeking to take advantage of cheaper equities.