THAILAND

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> posted a 32 percent drop in quarterly operating profit and withdrew its full-year profit forecasts as Thai floods pose a fresh threat to production while supply shortages from the March earthquake kept output low.

As Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda passed the banged-up Aston Martin Zagato in his Lexus LFA on the Nuerburgring race track last month, he figured that was it for the British race car.

Asia's central bankers have two main choices for coping with Europe's debt crisis: Wait it out and hope for a safe resolution, or take out an insurance policy in the form of an interest rate cut.

The death toll from Thailand's worst floods in half a century climbed past 500 on Sunday. Most victims have drowned, while a handful died from flood-related electrocutions.

NASA recently posted a few photographs taken with the help of high-powered telescopes aboard spacecraft circling the Earth. Check out the images below.

Miss World 2011 has returned to its birthplace of London, where beauty and talent will be crowned on Sunday on the 60th anniversary of the competition.

The latest news isn't good for the airline industry as it cuts back flights to and from Bangkok during the floods.

The flooding in Thailand put Bangkok's Safari World underwater on Thursday, forcing officials to find dry ground for several exotic animals.

Europa, a suspense drama about astronauts from different countries who head to the frigid glacial moon of Jupiter, has found a warm reception at this year's American Film Market, selling in 12 territories so far.

Viktor Bout was busted in a sting operation attempting to sell weapons to a Colombian rebel group, FARC.

It was a water, water, everywhere situation, on Wednesday, in a wildlife park in Thailand; flood waters entered the animals' territories, making them anxious and panicky, forcing many of them to run away.

Toshiba Corporation may be able to restart some of its flood-hit operations in Thailand early in 2012 and be fully up and running in March, its chairwoman said on Thursday.

Severe flooding in Thailand, which has taken the lives of almost 400 people and nearly obliterated its rice crop export, has resulted in a laptop shortage that will undoubtedly cause prices of electronics to rise, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

Lexmark International CEO Paul Rooke predicted the printer giant will keep boosting profits because of software advantages but warned “economic headwinds” may trim fourth-quarter revenue.

Sony Corp. warned of a fourth straight year of losses, with its television unit alone set to lose $2.2 billion on tumbling demand and a surging yen, sinking its U.S. shares and raising concerns about the viability of its high-profile TV business.

Sony is forecasting a net loss of 90 billion yen ($1.15 billion), versus a prior expectation for a 60 billion yen profit.

Don't let flooding in Thailand thwart your plans, there's a plethora of Southeast Asian cities to match the excitement of Bangkok.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Garmin, Silicon Motion Technology, Magic Software Enterprises, Exelixis, and JDS Uniphase. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Syms, Diamond Foods, OpenTable, EZchip Semiconductor, and Cognizant Technology Solutions.

Sony Corp. surprised investors on Wednesday by warning it is heading for its fourth straight annual net loss and that its TV business alone would produce a loss of $2.2 billion due to tumbling demand and a surging yen.

Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No.2 PC brand, posted a better-than-expected 88 percent rise in second-quarter profit, helped by acquisitions and an increase in sales in emerging markets such as China.

Sony Corp said it is headed for its fourth straight annual net loss, instead of a profit it forecast earlier, as Thai floods disrupted camera production, adding to losses from a soaring yen and price slides in its TVs and PCs in the United States and Europe.