JAPAN

The Bank of Japan, which last month raised interest rates for the first time in six years, is expected to keep its powder dry this week as it confirms that economic growth is slowing and with inflation yet to materialize.

Toyota released its fiscal first quarter earnings report for 2006 on Thursday, announcing a rise in net profit due to increased demand for its fuel efficient vehicles in the U.S. market.

Japan has decided to protect Japanese beef as its intellectual property by patenting the Japanese cow genes and monitoring semen stock distribution with bar-codes. The agriculture ministry says that it found there is no international law to prohibit the stock from flowing out to foreign countries for hybridization and reverse import.

U.S. shipments of digital cameras grew 17 percent in the second quarter, fueled by gift-giving for graduating students and Father's Day, with Canon Inc. retaining its No. 1 rank in market share, according to an industry report.

SanDisk Corp. and Toshiba said on Friday that are partnering to build a new flash memory plant in Japan, helping them serve increasing demand and positioning them to compete against larger rivals.

The head of the International Monetary Fund Rodrigo de Rato said Thursday that deflation has, by most measures, ended in Japan and that with more economic reform efforts, Japan will overcome significant challenges to come.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. said on Thursday it will end its 15-year- old contract with Airbus to supply body panels for A321 aircraft at the end of March.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Wednesday expressed Washington's intention to press Japan to start importing U.S. beef from cows older than 30 months.

Palm Inc. on Friday warned investors that delays in Palm's next operating system are affecting the company's ability to effectively compete in smart phone and PDA markets.

Investors, tired of weak returns and rising volatility in U.S. stocks, are turning to cash and fixed-income investments, including safer municipal bonds and Treasury inflation-protected securities.

A three year 'mad cow' scare has left japanese consumers, restaurants and retailers weary despite a lifted ban on U.S. beef last week.

South African agricultural representatives are looking at their own governments to see what can be done in the wake of recently suspended trade talks of the World Trade Organization.

The Japanese unit of Amazon.com Inc. said on Wednesday it was considering launching a virtual shopping mall, in a bid to snatch a share of the growing market from Web mall operators Rakuten Inc. and Yahoo Japan Corp.

The Nikkei average rose 1.42 percent on Tuesday to end above 15,000 for the first time in more than a week as Tokyo Electron Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. climbed after strong quarterly results from U.S. chip firms boosted expectations of higher earnings at home.

Global trade talks have been suspended indefinitely after five and a half years of discussions failed to produce results.

Global free trade talks, billed as a once in a generation chance to boost growth and ease poverty, collapsed on Monday after nearly five years of haggling and resuming them could take years.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. said on Wednesday it will launch four new models of high-definition plasma TVs, including the world's largest with a 103-inch panel, challenging LCD TVs' lead in offering higher resolution images.

Sony Corp. is to launch two models of high-definition camcorders that record images onto DVD discs and hard disk drives (HDDs), the first camcorder maker to offer such products, the company said on Wednesday.

High and volatile prices will continue to scare physical gold buyers in most parts of the world, but some markets such as China and Japan will remain strong, bullion dealers said.

General Motors Corp Chief Executive Rick Wagoner insisted on Tuesday he planned to keep his job even if the U.S. carmaker strikes a three-way alliance with rivals Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co.

Global economic growth is strong and becoming more broadly based, the Group of Eight nations said on Monday at their summit in St Petersburg.