JAPAN

Asian stocks rose to their highest in three weeks after the world's largest bond insurers retained top credit ratings, easing concern that global economic growth will slow on new credit losses.

The Japanese Internet Satellite that was launched on Saturday successfully reached the orbit, beginning a mission for a space-based infrastructure that will help remote corners of Far East and Southeast Asia to have access to information via the internet.

Japan Stocks soared Monday encouraged by the upcoming U.S. rescue plan to be announced Monday and the news that Chinese SWF might buy Japanese stocks as much as $10B.

Pioneer Corp will stop making 42-inch plasma panels and instead buy panels in that size and smaller from Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial or Hitachi Ltd to turn around its loss-making flat TV business, the Asahi newspaper said.

The dollar and euro both gained against a weaker yen on Monday as positive news for the U.S. financial sector boosted appetite for stocks and other riskier trades and helped underpin high-yielding currencies like the New Zealand dollar.

Enter the e-waiter. Restaurants in Europe, the United States and Japan are testing technology to let diners order their food direct from a screen at their table instead of depending on a fellow human being to note their choice -- sometimes grumpily or erroneously.

PionPioneer Corp will stop making 42-inch plasma panels and instead buy panels in that size and smaller from Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial or Hitachi Ltd to turn around its loss-making flat TV business, the Asahi newspaper said.eer Corp will stop making 42-inch plasma panels and instead buy panels in that size and smaller from Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial or Hitachi Ltd to turn around its loss-making flat TV business, the Asahi newspaper said.

Japan today launched the Kizuna, an experimental communications satellite that enables both, urban and remote areas in the Asia Pacific region to access super-high-speed internet service.

Recent signs that the world's biggest economy may be sliding into recession unsettled European and Asian stocks on Friday, and helped push the dollar to a near three-week low versus a basket of currencies.

Japan stocks dropped sharply Friday affected by U.S. weakening economy and upward trend of yen currency.

Shareholders in Seven Bank Ltd, which operates ATMs in convenience stores owned by Seven & I Holdings Co Ltd, raised $481 million after its IPO was priced at the top of its projected range, as investors rattled by the subprime crisis embraced its low-risk business model.

Nintendo is brining its physical fitness game to the U.S this summer, representatives said on Wednesday, as well as a downloadable game service.

Japan's most popular online networking site, Mixi Inc, said on Wednesday it plans to establish a subsidiary in Shanghai to tap China's fast-growing Internet market.

Annual pay cheques of some fund managers in India have hit $1 million, levels seen normally in London and Tokyo, as asset management firms scramble for scarce talent in a booming market.

The promise of a solid open on Wall Street after Wal-Mart signaled the U.S. consumer is still keen to spend helped set aside worries about hefty bank writedowns on Tuesday while oil and metal prices rose unabated.

Following the integration of Tata Group's five telecommunication subsidiaries - VSNL, VSNL International, Teleglobe, Tata Indicom Enterprise Business Unit and Cipris - under the Tata Communications brand name, Tata Communications has announced that it will inject $2 billion over the next three years to fuel its global expansion plans with specific focus on the new world of IP, MPLS, Ethernet, and managed services.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has decided that it will exclusively sell second generation DVDs in the Blu-Ray format, dealing one in a series of blows to the rival HD DVD format.

India's Tata Capital and Japan's Mizuho Securities Co Ltd have signed an initial deal to jointly offer financial services such as investment banking, private equity, broking and wealth management.

Crude futures climbed nearly $2 on Thursday as economic data from Japan and the U.S. diminished worries about a worldwide recession. Prices were also supported by supply concerns.

Viruses on mobile phones are still rare but nearly three-quarters of mobile phone users in developed countries are worried about security on their handsets, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Nintendo sold over 1 million copies of its latest Smash Bro. game in Japan just 11 days after its launch according to a Japanese game publisher, making the new title on of the fastest games selling to break a million on the Wii game system.