SOUTH KOREA

North Korea's ruling party holds its biggest meeting in 30 years early next month to pick a new leadership and likely anoint an heir to the dynasty as Kim Jong-il's health deteriorates.

South Korea's reformist Prime minister-designate Kim Tae-ho said on Sunday he would step down as nominee amid opposition criticism of his qualifications and ethics.

The European Union thinks China has made only limited progress in allowing its yuan currency to move more rapidly, and swifter action would help safeguard a fragile economic recovery, according to a draft G20 document obtained by Reuters on Saturday.

China is lobbying neighbours to sign up to a road map for renewed nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong-il is visiting China amid conciliatory words and threats of holy war.

The European Union thinks China has made only limited progress in allowing its yuan currency to move more rapidly, and swifter action would help safeguard a fragile economic recovery, according to a draft G20 document obtained by Reuters on Saturday.

- China is lobbying neighbours to sign up to a road map for renewed nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong-il is apparently visiting China amid conciliatory words and threats of atomic holy war.

Former President Jimmy Carter procured the release of 31-year-old American English teacher, Ajilon Gomes, from imprisonment in North Korea. Carter and Gomes left Pyongyang, North Korea, yesterday and Gomes is expected to be reunited with his mother and other family members in Boston today.

Copper and other base metal prices rose up to 5 per kg in the non-ferrous metal market on Thursday on continued buying by stockists on industrial demand amid firming trend at the London Metal Exchange.

A manager at Apple Inc has been charged in California with taking kickbacks he received after leaking corporate secrets to Asian companies that supplied iPhone and iPod accessories, court documents showed.

The euro jumped and Asian stocks extended gains on Friday after stunning German data showed Europe's biggest economy grew at its fastest pace in 23 years, alleviating some doubts about the strength of global growth.

The yen inched further away from 15-year peaks on Friday as talk swirled that Japan's authorities may soon intervene to curb it, while Asian stocks edged up to claw back some of the week's heavy losses.

Hyundai Motor Co, South Korea's top automaker, aims to sell about 17 percent more cars in India this year as the fast-growing south Asian country boosts consumer spending, a top official said on Friday.

Crude oil prices were steady on Friday near $82 before a report expected to show U.S. employment declined for a second straight month in July, as investors watch for clues to the pace of economic and energy demand recovery.

India's Mahindra & Mahindra is planning bid up to $400 million for troubled South Korean automaker Ssangyong Motor, sources said, as it seeks to become a major global utility vehicles maker.

Oil fell for a second day on Thursday, approaching $82, as dollar strength kept a lid on prices, neutralizing the effect of upbeat U.S. employment data and a drop in the nation's crude inventories last week.

Japanese Trade Minister Masayuki Naoshima said on Thursday that he was worried about a recent rise in the yen as Japanese companies are facing currency risks.

Oil fell for a second day on Thursday, approaching $82, as dollar strength kept a lid on prices, neutralizing the effect of upbeat U.S. employment data and a drop in the nation's crude inventories last week. At the same time, U.S. stockpiles of gasoline and distillate fuels, including diesel, extended a string of gains, contributing to a mixed perception about the outlook for oil demand from the world's top consuming nation for the rest of the year.

New car sales in Japan rose for the 11th straight month and South Korea's Hyundai Motor reported a double-digit rise in global sales in July, but a slowdown looked certain as government subsidies end and comparisons become difficult from the year before.

Hyundai Motor reported its weakest monthly sales in five months on Monday, as foreign sales slowed on easing demand growth from major markets such as China and the United States.

Japan's Panasonic Corp said it would buy out subsidiaries Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works for up to $9.4 billion in cash and shares to accelerate its push into greener businesses.

Japan's Panasonic Corp plans to buy out subsidiaries Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works for up to 818.4 billion yen ($9.4 billion) to strengthen its push into greener businesses.