JAPAN

On Wednesday, a new data record showed that China's economy grew to become the world's third-largest in 2007 reflecting the countries amazing ability to overcome yet another milestone in the country's stunning rise in the global pecking order.

On Monday Japanese and South Korean leaders put their country differences aside and pledged cooperation amid the global financial crisis in a bid to resuscitate the hard-hit Asian economies.

There is a bucket of data out this week which should provide traders with a closer insight into the current economic situation in the United States.

Researchers in Japan have made a new robotic suit that will aid farmers with augmented strength for the laborious task of tending the fields.

Sales of videogame products dropped by 15.3 percent in Japan last year, according to entertainment magazine, Enterbrain.

Chip sales in the Americas have fallen to $2.61 billion in November 2008, down 23.9 percent from $3.43 billion in November 2007, according to the latest figures from the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics Organization (WSTS).

A series of powerful earthquakes on Sunday morning rattled the eastern Indonesian province of West Papua, collapsing a number of buildings and injuring at least three people, officials said.

President Bush said Thursday he will lift key trade sanctions against North Korea and remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist, a remarkable turnaround in policy toward the communist regime he once branded as part of an axis of evil.

Gold futures rebounded on Monday and closed with strong gains after the U.S. dollar declined, boosting the investment appeal of the precious metal.

Tokyo stocks closed sharply higher Wednesday on rises in Asian stock markets and stronger-than-expected Japanese economic growth data.

Softbank Mobile Corp. and Telefonica SA announced on Wednesday they have reached deals to sell the Apple iPhone device later this year in Japan and Spain respectively.

Tiffany & Co., the world's second- largest luxury-jewelry retailer, said Friday its first-quarter net income rose a higher-than-expected 19 percent on stronger demand from Europe and Asia which helped make up for weaker sales in the U.S.

Tokyo stocks closed over 2 percent higher on Friday, with Japan's key Nikkei index topping the 14,000 line for the first time in about two months, as an overnight surge in U.S. stocks led to heightened optimism about the U.S. economic outlook.

Tokyo stocks tumbled Wednesday morning, with the benchmark Nikkei index dropping below the 14,000 line for the first time in five trading days, as broad-based selling set in after sharp falls in U.S. shares overnight.

Japan stocks declined Thursday because of weak Asian markets and profit-taking by investors. Real estate and banking issues, which have been highly bought these days, were sold.

Nintendo launched its Wii Fit fitness video game on Monday as the firm looks to expand its audience.

Japan stocks rebounded slightly Monday, led by oil companies' shares as New York oil futures reached $127.82 per barrel in off-hours trading on Friday. But the upward trend was thwarted because of concerns over the U.S. economy.

Nissan Motor Co. is planning to raise its vehicle prices in Japan in a bid to pass along higher raw-material costs, according to a Japanese media report.

Tokyo stocks continued to rise for the third-straight day Wednesday due to a weaker yen against U.S. dollar and rebounding Shanghai equities.

Japan stocks declined Thursday as investors sold issues which gained recently for profit-taking. Also strong yen led investors sell export-oriented issues such as Toyota and Honda.

Tokyo stocks closed higher Wednesday as optimism over the U.S. economic outlook and the U.S. dollar's strength against the yen during a four-day holiday in Japan spurred buying.